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.
