Day 138 - 20 Jun 95 - Page 38


     
     1
     2   Q.   Wait a minute.  Just let me ask you.  What if some of the
     3        employees do not stop working, what happens then?
     4        A.  OK.  Then, in fact, that is the signal that they do not
     5        want the union, and the union is supposed to back off and
     6        leave.
     7
     8   Q.   Then you might get an election?
     9        A.  It is possible you may have an election, yes, or it is
    10        possible that they will -----
    11
    12   Q.   So the union only gets in immediately if all the employees
    13        decide to stop work; is that right?
    14        A.  I cannot get into all or some, I never got that far.
    15        My understanding was that if a majority of the employees
    16        stopped working, that was an indication, a proper
    17        indication.
    18
    19   Q.   You have told us that initially before the restaurant was
    20        opened, Mr. Kahan was approached by two unions CROC and
    21        CTM?
    22        A.  Correct.
    23
    24   Q.   In the person of Mr. Stein, what was the Corporation's
    25        response to that approach?
    26        A.  The response was that if our employees wished to be
    27        represented by either of the union, that we would recognise
    28        the union, but the union needed to give us some indication
    29        through card signing or other that there was some interest
    30        and that the union should follow the process under the law,
    31        which is to petition -----
    32
    33   Q.   Do you actually speak to the union yourself?
    34        A.  No, I did not; Saul Kahan did.
    35
    36   Q.   How old was Saul Kahan at this time?
    37        A.  24 years old.
    38
    39   Q.   Is that not a little bit young to be owning a joint venture
    40        operation in Mexico City?
    41        A.  He had several years of business experience -- very
    42        successful business experience.
    43
    44   Q.   So he had the financial foundation for this process, did
    45        he?
    46        A.  He also had an enormous amount of maturity for a 24
    47        year old -- I wish I had been as mature at 24.
    48
    49   Q.   We are coming to some, perhaps, rather alarming events in a
    50        moment, where you have a 24 year old, 23 year old, or 
    51        whatever it is, however mature, how far do you have to hold 
    52        his hand through an event of this kind?  I mean 
    53        metaphorically.
    54        A.  Excuse me?
    55
    56   Q.   That is an English expression; hold his hand, provide him
    57        with support.
    58        A.  OK.  Could I just back up a little bit?
    59
    60   Q.   Yes.

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