Day 139 - 21 Jun 95 - Page 17

     
     1        reports of that; and there were some indications that they
     2        had visited some of our other stores.
     3
     4   Q.   Employee committees were formed at McDonald's franchises
     5        around the city -- you agreed with that yesterday --
     6        certain employee committees were formed at
     7        McDonald's -----
     8        A.  I agreed with that?
     9
    10   Q.   Yes.
    11        A.  No, I did not agree with that.  I have not got the
    12        faintest idea whether or not that happened.
    13
    14   Q.   But you were aware that they were visiting other stores?
    15        A.  I knew that they were in our lobby, that Mr. Cantor
    16        visited the lobby of two or three other stores, but that is
    17        all I know.
    18
    19   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  The petition itself, what was the unit that
    20        the union was backing for; how many stores, one or two?
         A.  Initially, my Lord, it was one store.  When we got to
    22        the hearing, it turned into three stores.
    23
    24   Q.   That is what the union was claiming was the unit, was it?
    25        A.  Yes.  Initially one; then they said, when the issue
    26        came up before the National Labour Relations Board, that
    27        generally -- the opinion of the board agent, NLRB agent,
    28        was that, normally, when he has seen elections in the
    29        retailing area, it would include all of the stores of an
    30        owner/operator.  At that point, they focused and came back
    31        and said they were willing to do it in three stores.
    32
    33   Q.   Did anyone put up an opposing contention that it should be
    34        more than three?
    35        A.  No, my Lord.
    36
    37   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   Thank you.
    38
    39   MR. MORRIS:  So McDonald's must have been concerned that this
    40        organising drive could spread to other areas of the Detroit
         area?
    42        A.  That was a possibility, sure.  Concerned -- I do not
    43        think I would use that word, but a possibility that it
    44        might.
    45
    46   Q.   Worried?
    47        A.  No, I would not use the word "concerned".  Worried --
    48        now you are going up the ladder as far as my American
    49        English, and I am saying come down the ladder of
    50        significance. 
    51 
    52   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I am going to take the five-minute break a 
    53        bit early.  Try and get yourself organised.  I would like
    54        you to, now you have raised the point, deal with Detroit in
    55        one go.  If Ms. Steel has any questions to ask, I am
    56        perfectly content that one or other of you should do all,
    57        or virtually all, of the cross-examination, because I like
    58        to keep the evidence on separate topics in different
    59        compartments rather than coming back to it.
    60