Day 184 - 06 Nov 95 - Page 63
1 done and we had the store running, we became from a triple
2 C store to a triple A store. I mean, we were -- it was
3 fine. It was calm. All the majors were happy. All the
4 crew were happy. Everything was fine.
5
6 So, I mean, as far as I know, there was not a change
7 between the period before the Labour Board hearing and
8 during the Labour Boards and neither the Labour Board
9 hearing, except for the fact that when Rob and Cam first
10 took over.
11
12 Q. For example, Sarah Inglis said: "While the hearing was
13 taking place at the Labour Board, the Manager at McDonald's
14 began giving out more free food, Olympic hats and pins to
15 wear on the uniform. This much paraphernalia was never
16 given out before. During this time management became much
17 nicer and calmer round the employees. This was a complete
18 change in environment. They treated us like gold".
19 A. But it did not change, like, that is -- they always
20 gave out those kind of things. We always got
21 (indecipherable) cards, we always, you know, got the one
22 fuzzys, we got the pens, and whenever some kind of, you
23 know, a promotion is going on, we always get the things to
24 promote it. Like, when pizzas came out, the grill room
25 people got pizza aprons, you know. So, there was not more
26 stuff being given out.
27
28 Q. But when it says: "The management became much nicer and
29 calmer round the employees", I presume that is the bit
30 where you respond and saying: "I do recall that the
31 atmosphere was somewhat calmer from when Cam first took
32 over, but the change was not nearly as dramatic as
33 suggested by Sarah"?
34 A. Right. What Sarah is saying that, you know, the
35 managers when they first took over, it was just this big
36 mess, and a state of big mess until all of a sudden the
37 union came aboard, like, decided to, like, unionise our
38 store, and that is when they decided to give everything
39 out. But that is not true. It was, I mean it was -- in
40 the beginning, for the first couple of months until Rob and
41 Cam got the store up to par, there was a lot of changes
42 going on. But once all those changes were done and over
43 with which, you know, it was only the first couple of
44 months, then it became, you know, it was fine. They were
45 giving out this stuff -- as they always were. They did not
46 just start giving this out as soon as the unionisation
47 attempt came in. They were giving it before.
48
49 Q. OK. I just wanted to go back -- sorry -- about the crew
50 meeting on October 5th. If you just recall that meeting,
51 you have already mentioned it a few times; you have said
52 how Cam Ballantyne said if people wanted to know about the
53 union people should talk to Sarah after giving some
54 opinions of his own. At that meeting was Sarah the only
55 one who spoke up for the union?
56 A. No-one, well, Cam never said anything positive or
57 negative about the union.
58
59 Q. I am asking -----
60 A. Sarah came in later and she was late, she came late to
