Day 144 - 28 Jun 95 - Page 05
1 Q. Have you taken any action with regard to the UK position on
2 unions to get them to change their position and recognise
3 that crew members do have the right to union activity in
4 the stores?
5 A. The UK Company is very ably managed by Mr. Preston, by
6 Mr. Nicholson. They have a very fine, competent Human
7 Resources Department and I am quite satisfied with how they
8 operate.
9
10 Q. So it does not bother you at all that all union activity is
11 disallowed in the UK stores?
12 A. It is a different country with different laws,
13 different requirements, different ways of doing business.
14 It is not for me as an American to question how another
15 country -- its laws or conducts itself.
16
17 Q. Mr. Stein, you have interfered in the runnings of other
18 countries. I suggest the reason you do not interfere with
19 the running in the UK Company is because it is exactly the
20 Corporation's position, and you are quite happy with it?
21 A. First of all, I think I have mentioned that Labour
22 Relations in the United Kingdom is managed by
23 Mr. Nicholson, Mr. Preston and others, and there has never
24 been anything brought to my attention that I would consider
25 improper.
26
27 Q. McDonald's UK is a subsidiary of the Corporation of which
28 you are a Vice President ---
29 A. That is correct.
30
31 Q. -- Senior Vice President? Does it bother you that they
32 have a policy of not allowing any overt union activity in
33 their stores?
34 A. As I have said before, this is -- this is not the
35 United States, this is England. I am assuming they are
36 complying with all laws. No-one has ever suggested to me
37 that they are not complying with all laws in this area and,
38 as I mentioned, it is a very well-managed company. I would
39 not interfere unless there was something that came to my
40 attention that seemed improper.
41
42 Q. So, basically, your position is that you will only
43 recognise unions and allow union activity where you are
44 forced to by the law of the country in which you are
45 operating?
46 A. That is totally untrue. I have stated time and time
47 again what our position is, and this is probably the fourth
48 or fifth time you have said that, and each and every
49 occasion I have told you it is untrue.
50
51 MR. MORRIS: Steve Copeland ---
52 A. Yes.
53
54 Q. -- is a witness in this case.
55 A. Yes.
56
57 Q. You know him, yes?
58 A. I know Steve Copeland.
59
60 Q. Vice President of Personnel for the McDonald's development
