Day 125 - 12 May 95 - Page 30


     
     1        service; that is correct, is it not?
     2        A.  To the customer?
     3
     4   Q.   Yes, the preparation behind the till as well?
     5        A.  Yes.  There is a team work.
     6
     7   Q.   The speed?
     8        A.  There is team work that takes place among all members
     9        of the crew.  Obviously, you cannot serve the customer
    10        better if the fries are not ready in time or -----
    11
    12   Q.   So, the reality is that the spirit of competition and urge
    13        to increase speed is creating unsafe working conditions for
    14        the staff, is it not?
    15        A.  No, it is not.
    16
    17   Q.   And greater profits for the employer?
    18        A.  No, it is not.
    19
    20   Q.   That is what hustle is all about, is it not?  Boosting your
    21        profits at the expense of the safety of the workers as the
    22        Health & Safety Executive ------
    23        A.  That is not correct.  I think I have been pretty
    24        detailed on what I thought hustle was, what it means.  I do
    25        not want to be redundant and repeat it, but in no way does
    26        hustle mean that we want our employees to compromise their
    27        safety.
    28
    29        We think hustle, as an overall operating philosophy, is
    30        something that is good for the operation of our
    31        restaurant.  It helps one another.  It also serves the
    32        customer the better.  Our customers are happy with the fact
    33        that our people move with purpose.  When we conduct
    34        customer satisfaction surveys, no matter whether it is in
    35        the United States or any country in the world, people have
    36        a very high opinion, a very high opinion, of our employees
    37        and the manner in which generally they service them.
    38
    39   Q.   Do you remember the first National Hamburger Olympics
    40        around 1972, set up by McDonald's in Las Vegas?
    41        A.  Yes.
    42
    43   Q.   Set up by Jim Kuhm?
    44        A.  Jim Kuhm, K-U-H-M.
    45
    46   Q.   Jim Kuhm, yes.  That was for McDonald's workers to compete
    47        in the stuffing of french fries and pouring cokes and
    48        flipping hamburgers, yes, and get prizes?
    49        A.  Yes.
    50 
    51   MS. STEEL:  That was employees from all over the United States 
    52        in that competition? 
    53        A.  We had market competitions, regional competitions, and
    54        then the best of the best were selected and they
    55        participated in that trip.  I can tell you at the time
    56        I was a Regional Manager in New York.  I thought that that
    57        had a tremendous impact on crew people in all of the area
    58        that I was responsible for, New York, New Jersey,
    59        Connecticut.  People felt, the crew people, felt
    60        important.  They felt that McDonald's valued the job that

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