Day 139 - 21 Jun 95 - Page 59


     
     1        interested in the traditional wages, hours and working
     2        conditions, that many of his meetings would turn into
     3        political insults and gyrations by these folks, and when he
     4        tried to get it back to wages and terms and conditions of
     5        employment they were not interested; they were talking
     6        about the imperialism of the United States Government and
     7        all the things that their party stood for.
     8
     9   Q.   You do not think that the expansion of McDonald's
    10        internationally is also a political act?
    11
    12   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  No.  Do not bother to answer that.
    13
    14   MR. MORRIS:  It is relevant to the ----
    15
    16   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  No.  I rule against that.  Stick to your
    17        union matter, and when you come to your comments at the end
    18        of the case, if you think that is relevant to any
    19        particular matter, argue it to me.
    20
    21   MR. MORRIS:  You would have preferred if the union, or he would
    22        have preferred if the union had been militant over wages
    23        and conditions?
    24        A.  He wanted to fulfil his obligation of dealing with
    25        those issues, not with political issues.
    26
    27   Q.   What were the unfair labour practice claims made to
    28        Mr. Miller by the union?
    29        A.  The union claimed that the names on the -- that -- the
    30        employees had signed a petition saying they no longer
    31        wanted the union and the union claimed that Don Miller had
    32        inspired them to do that.
    33
    34   Q.   The NLRB, did they ever hold another election or anything?
    35        A.  No, they did not.
    36
    37   Q.   No.  There was not a sufficient show of interest for them
    38        to do that?
    39        A.  The NLRB held that the employees' petition was not
    40        valid and that Miller should continue to recognise and
    41        negotiate with the union.
    42
    43   Q.   But Mr. Miller did not want to do that?
    44        A.  He wound up doing it; he did it.
    45
    46   Q.   So why was there a strike then?
    47        A.  If I might, he had withdrawn recognition.
    48
    49   Q.   Of the union?
    50        A.  Of the union.  They were on strike.  That is when 
    51        I arrived in Puerto Rico.  After that, the NLRB and their 
    52        proceedings determined that Mr. Miller should again 
    53        recognise the union and that was what happened, and he did.
    54
    55   Q.   Then while you were there, yes, you decided to withdraw
    56        co-operation from Mr. Miller because he would not move to
    57        Puerto Rico?
    58        A.  That is correct, and that was before there was any
    59        ruling at all from the NLRB.  That was in the middle of the
    60        process, and we alerted him that we would provide him help

Prev Next Index