Day 003 - 30 Jun 94 - Page 26


     
     1   Q.   The next sentence top of the next page:  "McDonald's have
              a policy of preventing unionisation by getting rid of
     2        pro-union workers"?
              A.  Rubbish.
     3
         Q.   What would happen -- you say it has never been attempted
     4         -- has any of the big unions -- I suppose the most
              appropriate might be the Transport & General; I am not
     5        quite sure about that -- who might represent workers in
              your stores ever approached you personally?
     6        A.  No, never approached me.
 
     7   Q.   So far as you know have they ever approached your human
              resources department?
     8        A.  They might have.  Certainly no employee has ever said
              to me, and I guess I have done McDonald's at most every
     9        level there is to do it both here and in the US; 30 years
              of cooking hamburgers, waiting on customers, middle
    10        management, whatever, I have ever never ever been
              approached by someone saying:  I think I need third party
    11        to interject into our relationship. It has never happened.
 
    12   Q.   What about the local level?  I mean, suppose by way
              of hypothetical example, the local union official were to
    13        speak to the restaurant manager and the restaurant manager
              were to ask the workers and the workers said they would
    14        like to join a union, what would happen then?
              A.  We are pro-choice, we are pro-individual.  If an
    15        individual wants to join a union, that is their
              perogative.  The law gives him or her that right.  If a
    16        union wanted to talk to our employees, it is their
              obligation to make the approach, not our managers on their
    17        behalf.  But if a store felt they wanted to be unionised,
              we would have to do it.
    18
         Q.   Who in that situation, hypothetical situation, would
    19        negotiate with the union?
              A.  I think it would be handled from human resources.
    20
         Q.   Are you aware of any cases in this country during your 20
    21        years when that has actually happened?
              A.  No.
    22
         Q.   Then the next paragraph:  "Trained to sweat".  Have you
    23        got that?
              A.  I do.
    24
         Q.   "It's obvious that all large chain-stores and junk-food
    25        giants depend for their fat profits on the labour of young
              people".  Would you like to make any comment about that 
    26        sentence? 
              A.  I think it is false. 
    27
         Q.   What do your profits, be they fat or thin, Mr. Preston,
    28        depend on?
              A.  They depend on sales, making customers happy in such a
    29        way that they will come back and buy our products.  I can
              go broke very, very quickly if no-one walks through the
    30        front door, satisfied that what they are going to get
              under those arches is quality, service, cleanliness,

Prev Next Index