Day 138 - 20 Jun 95 - Page 80


     
     1        (To the witness):  Were there certain of these incidents,
     2        I will call them, where there was a union recognition
     3        dispute or a dispute with a union in some way or other, did
     4        some of them attract considerable media attention?
     5        A.  Some of them did, my Lord.  Yes, they did.  The Detroit
     6        situation that I mentioned, that really would be, to my
     7        recollection, in the US the first time I had ever seen
     8        anything like that.  Suddenly, the union was in the media
     9        making claims and getting the media attention.
    10
    11   Q.   That is one aspect.  The other aspect I am asking for your
    12        candid response to is which ones was there sufficient
    13        attention outside the immediate local concerns for
    14        McDonald's to feel this might have ramifications outside
    15        immediate local concerns, do you understand?
    16        A.  If I could ask one thing of clarification?
    17
    18   Q.   Yes.
    19        A.  The Detroit situation would be of interest in the
    20        immediate Detroit area, but not beyond, I accept maybe an
    21        isolated article somewhere.  All of these incidents that we
    22        are talking about primarily would be localised within that
    23        community, within that city, maybe even a portion of the
    24        city.  For example, the PUP matters that we talked about,
    25        that would be of importance within the Philadelphia area,
    26        but it would not be of importance to Chicago or Boston or
    27        what-have-you.  It would be, I would call it, localised to
    28        that particular area.
    29
    30   Q.   Are there any of the others which you would accept might
    31        have had ramifications more generally so far as McDonald's,
    32        McOpCo, or owner/operated stores are concerned?  In other
    33        words ---
    34        A.  My Lord -----
    35
    36   Q.   -- if there was unionisation there that might prompt
    37        someone else to think about it?
    38        A.  My Lord, as to Company stores, there has not been a
    39        union organising attempt of any note, any significance,
    40        since 1974.  So, there has not been (and I am searching my
    41        recollection now totally) a petition for an election in any
    42        of the Company stores while I have been employed.
    43
    44        The matters that I have talked about here were in
    45        owner/operator stores and were localised within that area.
    46        Also, the last petition, if you will, for an election in
    47        any McDonald's store, whether it be, well, it is the
    48        operators obviously, would be six, seven years ago.  This
    49        is not -- I know that -----
    50 
    51   Q.   That is in owner/operator stores as well? 
    52        A.  That is correct. 
    53
    54   Q.   Worldwide?
    55        A.  No, I am talking -- I was limiting it to the United
    56        States.  If you recall, my Lord, virtually every situation
    57        that we talked about -- I call it ancient history --
    58        occurred a long time ago, and this is not -- Labour
    59        Relations in McDonald's in the United States is not -- the
    60        two are not connected by the media or by anyone.  It is not

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