Day 138 - 20 Jun 95 - Page 56


     
     1        say that we were young and, in retrospect, quite a naive
     2        group of organisers".  Do you know whether Mr. Canter is
     3        still with this organisation, the Detroit Fast-food Workers
     4        Union or ACORN or not?
     5        A.  All I know is that he left Detroit -----
     6
     7   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  He gives a New Jersey address.
     8
     9   MR. RAMPTON:  He does, my Lord.
    10
    11   THE WITNESS:  But prior to New Jersey-- you see, I did not know
    12        he was in New Jersey.
    13
    14   Q.   It would not have been the Detroit Fast-Food Workers -----
    15        A.  He went to New Orleans which is the Headquarters of
    16        ACORN, or was the Headquarters -- I do not know if it still
    17        is -- and he wound up, I know, working for the Service
    18        Employees.  ACORN in the Service Employees International
    19        had a relationship.  I do not know what the relationship
    20        was.
    21
    22   Q.   You said ACORN came from New Orleans?
    23        A.  New Orleans, yes.
    24
    25   Q.   So it is not a local organisation?
    26        A.  No.  They had chapters that they would have in various
    27        places throughout the US, but their Headquarters was in New
    28        Orleans.
    29
    30   Q.   He says:  "I should say that we were a young and, in
    31        retrospect, quite a naive group of organisers who were not
    32        prepared for the enormous hostility that the Company", by
    33        which we must take it he means either Ralph Kelly's company
    34        or McDonald's, "was about to demonstrate".  Was there any
    35        hostility shown either by Ralph Kelly or by the Corporation
    36        in this matter?
    37        A.  No, no, the normal proceedings would have taken place.
    38
    39   Q.  "... nor the unethical", and we will have to see what that
    40        might be meant to mean in due course, "and in some cases
    41        illegal acts that McDonald's would soon be engaged in."
    42        Did McDonald's, the Corporation, engage in any illegal acts
    43        in the course of this event?
    44        A.  Clearly not.
    45
    46   Q.   To your knowledge, in other words, as far as you are aware,
    47        did Ralph Kelly engage in any illegal act?
    48        A.  Clearly not and, if he had, that would have been
    49        brought to everyone's attention by the National Labour
    50        Relations Board. 
    51 
    52   Q.   He says:  "The first thing that McDonald's did was to 
    53        challenge our right to have an election".  Did McDonald's
    54        challenge his right to have an election?
    55        A.  There was a hearing when their petition was filed,
    56        again I think it was for one location, one of the issues
    57        I think immediately was whether it was one or three.
    58
    59   Q.   What, the unit question?
    60        A.  Yes, but then the other issue that did happen was we

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