Day 116 - 26 Apr 95 - Page 30


     
     1        restaurant.  The crew people can say anything they want.
     2        The Supervisor does not pass comment at all at that time;
     3        all he does is take notes.
     4
     5   Q.   Are they not a bit scared that it will get back to the
     6        Manager or the first assistant and it will be taken out of
     7        them?
     8        A.  Well, certainly when I first came to the company, I
     9        had never heard of a rap session, and that crossed my
    10        mind.  But, in fact, once you go to a few, you realise that
    11        they will say exactly what they want.  If they do not like
    12        the manager, they will say:  "We do not like him or her".
    13        That goes down in the rap session notes.  Nothing is missed
    14        out.  The rap session notes are then typed up and posted on
    15        the crew notice boards for everyone to see.
    16
    17   Q.   But do they have names?
    18        A.  Oh, yes, oh, yes -- not the names of the individuals
    19        attending the rap session.
    20
    21   Q.   No, do they have the names of the people who have
    22        complained?  The answer you have just told me, no?
    23        A.  No.
    24
    25   Q.   Do they have the names of the people against whom the
    26        complaints are made?
    27        A.  If it is the management team, yes.
    28
    29   Q.   They do?
    30        A.  Absolutely.  That is posted on the notice board, and
    31        then after about a week the store management will sit down
    32        with the Supervisor and often with their field Personnel
    33        Officer and they will discuss the contents of the rap
    34        session notes, and they will draw up a plan for dealing
    35        with them.
    36
    37        They are not all complaints; they are often suggestions to
    38        improve things.  They will draw up a plan.  They then call
    39        the crew meeting.  Now, they expect everyone to attend the
    40        crew meeting.  At the crew meeting they will tell the crew
    41        what their plans are to deal with the matters brought up at
    42        the rap session and invite their comment.  Then they will
    43        implement them after that meeting.
    44
    45   Q.   Well now, going back to that page and skipping down,
    46        therefore, from what you have told us about rap sessions to
    47        grievance procedure, the company has written:
    48
    49        "The grievance procedure. You may from time to time have
    50        business-related problems that cannot be solved through 
    51        crew meeting, rap sessions or one-to-one discussion with 
    52        management.  If you feel you have such a problem and have 
    53        attempted to get it resolved through rap sessions and
    54        one-to-one discussion with your restaurant manager, feel
    55        free to discuss it with your operations supervisor."
    56        A.  Yes.
    57
    58   Q.   Can I pause there?  If we go back to that hierarchy chart
    59        I find "supervisor" immediately over above "restaurant
    60        manager"?

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