Day 139 - 21 Jun 95 - Page 44


     
     1
     2   Q.   If you like.
     3        A.  OK.  Probably a total of eight, nine days, somewhere in
     4        that area.
     5
     6   Q.   So, in fact, things could have been going on that you did
     7        not know about?
     8        A.  That is absurd.  No.  I knew what was going on, sir.
     9
    10   Q.   Why is it absurd not to know about what was going on in a
    11        franchise?
    12        A.  Because I was sufficiently involved and communicated
    13        with the licensee.  I was in the hearing, as I mentioned.
    14        Anything and everything that was going on was talked about
    15        at those times.
    16
    17   Q.   Did this franchisee have -- was there anything about this
    18        franchisee or the particular store that was unusual as far
    19        as a McDonald's store is concerned?
    20        A.  No.
    21
    22   Q.   Why should it bother you that a franchisee might have --
    23        the crew members in a franchise store wish to join a union?
    24        A.  It does not bother me, but if I am asked to provide
    25        some consulting advice to help the licensee through a
    26        matter that he has not knowledge about, to work with his
    27        lawyer and give him whatever assistance or information, if
    28        for no other purpose than, frankly, to cut down the amount
    29        of legal bills he will have to pay an outside lawyer, I
    30        will do it.  It is part of the service that is provided to
    31        the Company in many, many different areas when they ask for
    32        consulting advice.
    33
    34   Q.   If you read the next paragraph on that page that you had in
    35        front of you, McDonald's 8?
    36        A.  Excuse me, McDonald's what?
    37
    38   Q.   The McD8 page.
    39        A.  OK.
    40
    41   Q.   If you read the bottom paragraph about Canada?
    42        A.  Canada?  OK.
    43
    44   MR. RAMPTON:  My Lord, again, I am afraid I intervene on the
    45        same ground: no witness statement, no pleading.
    46
    47   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Is what you are getting at here -- let me
    48        just read it.
    49
    50   MR. RAMPTON:  My Lord, I deliberately intervened before any 
    51        question was asked. 
    52 
    53   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes, but I have to decide whether your
    54        intervention is justified or not.  I want to read the
    55        paragraph first. (Pause)
    56
    57        I assume your point, Mr. Morris, is that it has been put
    58        forward as part of the evidence in McDonald's case that
    59        employees of the Company or its franchisees are not any
    60        better off if they are represented by unions, and you want

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