Day 138 - 20 Jun 95 - Page 39


     
     1
     2        A.  Saul Kahan had also trained in the United States for
     3        two years prior to opening his store in Mexico.  So, while
     4        you were talking about his age -----
     5
     6   Q.   Trained with whom?
     7        A.  McDonald's.  He worked in McDonald's restaurants for a
     8        two-year period prior to opening up his first store in
     9        Mexico.
    10
    11   Q.   So he was not a complete greenman or rookie?
    12        A.  Not after as to the operations of the organisation and
    13        as to our practices, but as to Labour Relations he had no
    14        experience.
    15
    16   Q.   This was 1985, so you had been at it in McDonald's for 11
    17        years?
    18        A.  Yes.
    19
    20   Q.   How much time from end to end do you think that you spent
    21        in Mexico City in relation to this affair?
    22        A.  I probably -- end to end, probably three weeks over a
    23        several months period.
    24
    25   Q.   What actually happened once the restaurant had opened?
    26        A.  Well, after the restaurant opened, that is when the
    27        union did file their petition as I articulated calling for
    28        a strike date.  I believe the strike date was around six
    29        weeks after the store was opened.  I do not know if you
    30        want me just to continue?
    31
    32   Q.   Yes.  They filed their petition and a strike date was set.
    33        A.  Yes.
    34
    35   Q.   Was there a particular time of day set?
    36        A.  Yes, my recollection was it was 6 o'clock in the
    37        afternoon.
    38
    39   Q.   Is there any obligation on the employer in such
    40        circumstances to ensure that all the workers are present in
    41        order to respond to the strike call?
    42        A.  The obligation is to have your normal workforce there.
    43
    44   Q.   In this case, how many of the workers were present on the
    45        strike date?
    46        A.  All -- there may have been one or two missing but all
    47        the workers appeared on that day.
    48
    49   Q.   Is that because the Company bribed or coerced them into
    50        being present or not? 
    51        A.  No, not at all.  We had scheduled the normal 
    52        complement, but the employees, frankly, were meeting by 
    53        themselves over all of this.  This was a dispute that was
    54        well-known within the community.  This was being publicised
    55        highly by the union.  The employees were meeting on their
    56        own.  On that day, although we did not know it was going to
    57        happen, all of the employees came to work on that day.
    58
    59   Q.   Were you present on that day?
    60        A.  Yes, I was, sir.

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