Day 124 - 10 May 95 - Page 14
1 provides good advice and counsel about life. They come to
2 the workplace without the benefit of the things that you
3 and I take for granted, basic grooming, skills,
4 communication skills.
5
6 Q. So they are particularly vulnerable, those people?
7 A. They are vulnerable in the respect they do not have the
8 necessary skills to make it in the workplace. They do not
9 have the qualities that most employers would want to have.
10
11 Q. Can I ask you ----
12 A. But we are able to work with those young people, treat
13 them with dignity and respect, help restore their
14 self-esteem, put them in a position where they can truly
15 exercise some of their God-given abilities, and in many
16 cases those young people are able to move on into
17 responsible management positions, either with McDonald's or
18 with other companies.
19
20 There are just countless examples of people that have
21 benefited from that initial experience. We hear from them
22 all the time. We get letters and notes from folks that
23 talk about that experience. So I find your comment about
24 the relationship between young people and our management to
25 me highly offensive. I think, if anything, we have
26 provided an avenue of opportunity for thousands of young
27 people to do well in life and society.
28
29 Q. We have heard about the Federal minimum wage, I think you
30 yourself commented it on it in your original testimony.
31 What is the subminimum wage?
32 A. I am not familiar with subminimum wage. You will have
33 to tell me.
34
35 Q. I do not know. I am asking you. Is it true that:
36 "McDonald's, along with its fellow members of the
37 International Franchise Association ..." -- Is that just a
38 McDonald's organisation or is that ----
39 A. The IFA is an association of a number of companies,
40 represented by a number of companies. We are just one of a
41 number.
42
43 Q. Yes. "... pays the Federal minimum and subminimum wage".
44 You do not know anything about what the subminimum wage
45 would be?
46 A. We are not a minimum wage employer and absolutely not a
47 subminimum wage employer.
48
49 Q. You do not know what the subminimum wage is then?
50 A. No, you would have to tell me.
51
52 Q. At this time in the early 70s -- it may be the case now --
53 there were unionised catering establishments, were there
54 not?
55 A. In the 70s.
56
57 Q. You must have been aware of that. Yes, not in McDonald's,
58 I mean in other companies?
59 A. Yes.
60
