Day 138 - 20 Jun 95 - Page 55


     
     1        are above the minimum.
     2
     3   Q.   "Several employee committees were" -----
     4
     5   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Can I just ask, does "basic wage" have a
     6        special meaning?  It is an American's statement there.
     7        What does "basic wage" mean in the States?
     8        A.  To me, that means average of that industry.  A basic
     9        means ordinary, the one that often times would appear or be
    10        paid.  That is how I interpret it.  It is the prevailing
    11        wage.  That would be another word that I would use.  The
    12        one that is most often out there.  That is how I interpret
    13        it.
    14
    15   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes.  In this country it can mean the wage
    16        people start at before they get any bonuses, enhancements,
    17        overtime, any additions of any kind?
    18        A.  OK.  That is not -- when I talk about, or we talk
    19        about, prevailing is the principal wages that is paid; it
    20        is not just the starting wage rate.
    21
    22   MR. RAMPTON:  In case it matters -- it may not do -- Mr. Stein,
    23        at this time or, indeed, at any other time was the
    24        McDonald's starting wage before any increases always paid
    25        to the federal or the local minimum?
    26        A.  No, not necessarily.
    27
    28   Q.   Because you told us it varied throughout the country?
    29        A.  Yes, it would be based upon the competitive surveys
    30        that are done of other folks in the industry.
    31
    32   Q.   Do you know, as a matter of fact, what the position was in
    33        Detroit in 1980, so far as that is concerned?
    34        A.  Boy!  I just know we were paying competitively.  Wages
    35        really did not become an issue in the campaign.
    36
    37   Q.   He says further in the third paragraph:  "Several employee
    38        committees were formed at McDonald's franchises around the
    39        city.  One particular franchisee, Ralph Kelly, owned three
    40        McDonald's restaurants" --- so far so good, I take it --
    41        A.  Yes.
    42
    43   Q.   -- "in which the employees wanted to form a union.  Within
    44        a short period of time, perhaps eight weeks, some 65 per
    45        cent of the workers had signed union authorisation cards".
    46        Do you know whether that is true or not?
    47        A.  No, I do not, sir.  We are never told by the NLRB what
    48        percentage.  The only thing we know is that the NLRB
    49        processes the matter, we assume there is 30 per cent.  The
    50        other little tricky thing here, if you will, is that the 
    51        original petition, I believe, was for one store, ultimately 
    52        at the hearing turned out to be three stores.  They did, 
    53        obviously, have enough, 30 per cent in all three, because
    54        the NLRB proceeded with an election.
    55
    56   Q.   He says 65?
    57        A.  It could be, I do not know.
    58
    59   Q.   He says that they were excited about this show of support
    60        and soon filed for an election with the NLRB.  "I should

Prev Next Index