Day 142 - 26 Jun 95 - Page 22
1 Q. If that is the case (which I do not accept) as far as
2 setting the starting rates, are you able to name a single
3 instance where those rates have been raised after crew
4 said: "They are not enough"?
5 A. I would imagine -- well, I more than imagine -- there
6 have been times when our crew people have said to
7 management: "We do not agree with your assessment of what
8 the wages are in the area. We do not agree with that and
9 we think you need to look into that matter." The Manager
10 would, in fact, look into that matter and make sure that he
11 or she is right as to what he or she has concluded.
12
13 So, I think I mentioned earlier that we have the various
14 communication channels, and the purpose of that is because
15 managers are not perfect. No-one is perfect. They can
16 make mistakes. They could be out of touch. Their survey
17 could be a little dated. If employees are bringing
18 something to their attention, they need to look into it and
19 make sure they have a correct answer for the crew people.
20
21 Q. But the crew could not just say to them: "Look, we want
22 more wages; whether or not the rest of the industry is
23 paying low wages as well, we feel we want more and we
24 demand that the company enters into negotiations with us"?
25 A. They certainly could. You have put a lot of different
26 questions there, or a lot of different statements there.
27 Our employees have a right to raise wage issues or other
28 issues with our managers at any time, and expect that they
29 would be fully addressed.
30
31 Q. So, say, you, for example, would go down and negotiate
32 direct with them, would you?
33 A. The wages, I think I have tried to explain -----
34
35 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Can I just break in here because I think we
36 may be taking sometime when basically it is common ground.
37 The system of negotiating wage rates is done between the
38 manager, the owner/operator, whoever is running the store
39 where the crew person works and the crew person concerned?
40 A. That is correct, my Lord.
41
42 Q. I have heard about rap sessions and crew meetings where it
43 is said that any discontent of wage rates could be raised,
44 but I have not heard anything about any system or practice
45 short of a system whereby numbers of employers do or can
46 get together and treat with the Manager of a McOpco store
47 or a franchisee over what rates of pay should be in the
48 store. Have you ever known something like that to happen
49 or not?
50 A. There has, my Lord; from time to time a group of
51 employees will come to managers and say that they feel very
52 strongly about some issues, that these are matters of
53 interest.
54
55 MR. JUSTICE BELL: We are on pay now?
56 A. Yes, pay would be one of those issues and that they
57 feel very strongly about their point of view on the matter;
58 that has occurred, my Lord.
59
60 MS. STEEL: That they should be being paid more?
