Day 143 - 27 Jun 95 - Page 07
1 A. No, that is untrue. That was not a subject of
2 conversation whatsoever at that time.
3
4 Q. I am going to move on from New Zealand: You are aware, are
5 you not -- I presume you are -- of the strike in Dublin in
6 1979?
7 A. What year was that?
8
9 Q. 1979. We have witnesses on both sides on this matter.
10 A. It has been sometime. I am aware of a picketing
11 situation and a dispute there. That would probably be
12 around the right time, yes.
13
14 Q. You are aware that the Labour Board said that workers had a
15 right to be represented by a union even if they were in a
16 minority, that those workers themselves could have a right
17 to elect a representative or have a union official to speak
18 on their behalf with the Company?
19 A. I recall that the franchisee and the union voluntarily
20 submitted the dispute to a tribunal, equivalent of a labour
21 court, I believe, and that that was their recommendation,
22 and that the owner/operator accepted that recommendation.
23
24 Q. Have you been to Ireland?
25 A. Yes, I have.
26
27 Q. Did you go to Ireland any time around that dispute?
28 A. Yes, I did.
29
30 Q. What time did you go, can you recall? I think the strike
31 was from March to September, if I remember, just from
32 recollection.
33 A. The problem was well underway because when I arrived
34 there were pickets outside of the two restaurants that were
35 there in Dublin, and had been going on for a while, maybe a
36 couple of weeks, but do not hold me to that.
37
38 Q. How long were you there for?
39 A. I was there about, I would say, about seven or eight
40 days, maybe a day or more on either end.
41
42 Q. What was the purpose of your visit?
43 A. The owner/operator needed to find competent counsel.
44 I knew nothing about Irish labour laws. I was not of
45 tremendous help, and I went searching for labour counsel.
46 We found Peter Sutherland, a very distinguished barrister,
47 and I believe he is the same -- he is the same gentleman
48 who has been responsible for the recent GATT negotiations,
49 and we secured him to provide the necessary advice to the
50 owner/operator.
51
52 Q. But apart from finding a useful lawyer ---
53 A. Yes.
54
55 Q. -- what else did you do?
56 A. I worked with Mr. Sutherland. He was very interested
57 in US labour laws. I think one of the problems that he had
58 was there was very little precedent or Irish labour law, if
59 you will, of any significance, and he was trying to work up
60 his advice and recommendations to the owner/operator.
