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

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