Day 192 - 27 Nov 95 - Page 08

     
     1        McDonald's", I think.  It says "while the hearings were
     2        taking place at the Labour Board".
     3
     4   Q.   That is the next paragraph.
     5        A.  I have got it above mine here.
     6
     7   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Mr. Riley, can you bring me the witness's
     8        bundle, please?   (Handed)  It is the same as ours.  Carry
     9        on from "while the hearings".  (The bundle was returned to
    10        the witness)
    11
    12   MR. MORRIS:  Yes.
    13
    14        "While the hearings were taking place at the Labour Board
    15        the management of McDonald's began giving out more free
    16        food, Olympic Hats and pins to wear on your uniform.  This
    17        much paraphernalia was never given out before.   I think
    18        that it was used to try and make people believe that there
    19        was no need for a union.  During this time management
    20        became much nicer and calm around the employees.  It was a
         complete change in environment, they treated us like gold.
    22        This was another of their mechanisms to make people think
    23        that a union wasn't needed.
    24
    25        "At the McDonald's annual Christmas party management made a
    26        hysterical video of people goofing off at work.  This
    27        I believe was used as a brainwashing tactic.  It brought
    28        people together.  I think that McDonald's has this ability
    29        to psychologically twist your mind and portray that
    30        everything at work is beautiful.
    31
    32        "The Labour Board asked both sides if we could agree upon a
    33        vote because we had been in hearings for over three months
    34        and it didn't look as though there was any end in sight.
    35        I believe that the hearings took that long because
    36        management dragged them out so long to create a hostile
    37        atmosphere for the employees of McDonald's Orangeville.
    38
    39        "So we agreed and drew up a vote contract.  In that time
    40        swing managers had made up buttons that stated 'JUST SAY
         NO'.  Employees were allowed to wear these on their
    42        uniforms.  McDonald's never allows any type of advertising
    43        other than McDonald's on our uniforms.  Also first
    44        assistant managers were giving these buttons out.  People
    45        told me that they felt that they had to wear them or their
    46        life would be a living hell.  Some staff of McDonald's were
    47        intimidated into wearing those buttons.
    48
    49        "Cam had professional drawings done of himself in a
    50        caricature format nicknaming himself 'Candid Cam'.  He was 
    51        portrayed as a super hero with a cape on.  In these 
    52        drawings he stated that a union would not bring employees 
    53        job security.  He portrayed the union as the 'Bad Guy'.
    54        Also during this time Cam held a crew event, which are
    55        pretty regular.  Crew events are sponsored by Cam in which
    56        almost all of the staff get together and play activities.
    57        At this particular crew event the theme was Olympic
    58        Bobsledding.  The crew simply was supposed to go
    59        tobogganing.  Then I believe Cam decided to throw in some
    60        creative art in the snow.  He had people lie down in the