Day 006 - 05 Jul 94 - Page 62
1 of that type are required, then I will make them available
to the parties. I am the top management link with the
2 activities day-to-day. I oversee them.
3 Q. If in those countries there are negotiations with trade
unions on wage rates or whatever, would you get to hear
4 about it eventually?
A. Maybe eventually.
5
Q. Did you have an interview with the Financial Times in
6 September 1987 which quoted you as saying: "Unions were
just not necessary at McDonald's", do you remember that?
7 It is part of the pleadings.
A. I remember doing an interview with the Financial
8 Times, but I assure you the interview was more than one
sentence. There would have been a top and a tail to it
9 which was far more broad in its scope than just that
statement.
10
Q. But did that statement get included in the interview?
11 A. It could have been very much. You would have to read
me the before and the after.
12
Q. Did it also state that: "The unions have a different way
13 of thinking, and if that starts to spread within
McDonald's it would be seen in McDonalds' results and
14 sales"?
A. I do not remember saying that, but again I do not have
15 the interview in front of me. I would be surprised if
I would have gone into that kind of depth with an
16 interviewer. I certainly would have thought if McDonald's
had done its job well -- and I think it does -- third
17 party intervention into the basics of management which
involves communications, staff welfare, opportunity, being
18 competitive in the marketplace, if a third party had to
interject themselves in those regards, I would have and
19 the company would have failed. That is why they are not
necessary.
20
Q. Are those the main concerns of unions, employee welfare --
21 I cannot remember the other things you said -- what were
the three things? Employee welfare?
22 A. I talked about, if we had, if a third party had to
interject themselves in the employee/employee
23 relationship, we would have failed in our remaining
competitive in the marketplace, we would have failed in
24 our basically staying competitive in the marketplace and
providing a work environment which is safe, proper and
25 offers opportunity.
26 Q. Yes. You are saying that if there are lapses in
communications and staff welfare, you would not be doing
27 your job properly. It is that the situation that people
may be interested in trade unions?
28 A. I said we would have failed.
29 Q. A third party?
A. If those are the circumstances we would have failed in
30 doing our job, yes.
