Читать книгу 1 Law 4 All - Billy Angel - Страница 18

The board members seemed more relaxed behind closed doors. They cracked jokes with each other discussing everything from the weather to the rising price of gasoline.

Wooster broke into their casual chit-chat. He looked directly at Tina. "How many times do I have to tell you Tina, we must talk positively about possible acquisitions in public."

Amerastar's CEO Simon Wooster scolded Tina as if she were a teenager. "Save your 'flying pig' comments for the appropriate setting.”

Tina glanced at Bonni with hurt eyes, cheeks puffed, exhaling air. Bonni looked around the table shaking her head. "I never could understand that philosophy. If our possible acquisition is profitable, it doesn't make sense for it to be up for sale.” Bonni raised her shoulders slightly, questioning Wooster's logic.

Her intention was to defend Tina. But unknowingly her defense expression was not taken seriously. It didn't make any sense to anyone.

Sal Venuti grinned. Someone had to come to the Senator’s defense before she made a fool of herself, again. "Bonni don’t be naive. They may be selling for other reasons."

Before Bonni could open her mouth, Chase Freeze nodded and added. "Perception is everything. You should know that Senator, after all you are a politician. Our share holders need to think they are getting value with our purchases. Tina, you’re not helping that perception by calling future acquisitions, ‘flying pigs’.

"Let's get on with the meeting,” Tina said. "I promise not to show my feelings or use the term 'flying pigs' in public meetings again.”

Thomas Rider, the board's secretary, passed briefing folders around the table. This would make it easier for everyone to keep up with what he was going to say.

"Motorhead issues are hanging around like a bad fungus," he started. "As you know, several years ago strong, pro-union forces started making noises at Motorhead. A certain fellow named Patea Tuafa was the rabble-rouser, union organizer. Unfortunately, he and his family were killed when their home burnt down." He took a breath as if conveying the depth of the tragedy. "After the fire, Motorhead’s management said the unionization efforts came to a standstill."

"Serious union talks have not been heard again until about ten months ago." Rider picked up after taking a sip of water. “They have reorganized behind a committee at the urging of Patea's daughter, Kitiona Tuafa. Unionization talk is coming back strong. A union of Motorhead employees will threaten our bottom line profits,” he emphasized bottom.

Rider continued talking as he was looking at Sal. "We were recently informed that Patea's oldest daughter, Kitiona, is here in San Francisco." He stopped and looked around the table. "We thought she had died in the fire. Then she starts the Motorhead workers talking about unionizing. And now she shows up on our door step," he stopped to gauge reactions around the table. He noticed Sal's head tilted slightly, Senator Giardina staring out the window, and the rest of the members were waiting for Rider to continue.

Neil Perkins, head of Amerastar’s security broke in. "We know Kitiona has rekindled union talk. I have two men monitoring her efforts. We also know that she was snooping around at the Times. And she has requested minutes from our board secretary for meetings dating to a year before her family's tragedy."

Wooster asked David Bowee, the head of Amerastar legal team, "Do we have any exposure?" David responded to the question with another question. "How many of the board members here were on the board at the time of the incident?"

He indicated for a show of hands by raising his hand. All but Gina Romano and Frank Jackson raised their hands. Bowee asked to meet with everyone individually that was on the board back then. They were agreeable.

"Simon, I'll have an answer for you shortly," Bowee’s said with his face showing little concern. He intended to meet with board individuals during the next week.

"We tried to make contact with Kitiona several days ago," Perkins chimed in. "We lost her but she'll surface again,” he said confidently.

"What does she want?" Gina asked.

"We'll know that when we catch up with her," Perkins said.

"What does this girl have to do with anything? Motorhead is one of our most profitable units. How does this affect our bottom line?” Tina asked.

Simon Wooster reminded everyone why Motorhead was so profitable. "If it weren't for the Senator's intervention with Congress's new minimum wage law, those peasants would have drained our profits starting with an immediate 50% wage increase. After unionizing, they would have increased our payroll another 300%."

“Don’t forget. Without the Senator securing asbestos exceptions for Motorhead, the cleanup would be another major expense,” Chase Freeze added.

Senator Giardina had used her committee position to write the U.S. territory of American Samoa out of the minimum wage bill and to include an asbestos exception. When Patea found out, he contacted the Senator thru Amerastar. She told him that he did not understand or had the wrong information. She said that she would get back to him soon. In the meantime, he was to sit tight and not spread any nasty rumors. Eight days later, Patea's home burnt to the ground, killing him, his wife, son and Kitiona’s cousin.

Giardina's eyes darted around the table. She began to open her mouth with a question, but thought this wasn't the time or place. Instead, she acknowledged Sal Venuti's glance and starred at the file folder in front of her.

Brothers asked everyone to open their briefing folder. He noted the timeline of the incidents mentioned and included several others he thought were important.

"What we're talking about is mesothelioma, a legal rainmaker,” he said. He called attention to the chart showing that the cause of mesothelioma was diagnosed as asbestosis as far back as the late 1800s. "They use to call it asbestosis. Since then, researchers have found that breathing asbestos may cause lung cancer, mesothelioma, a rare kind of cancer, and asbestosis, a type of breathing disorder,” he concluded.

"This chart says that the first documented case of mesothelioma was reported in 1953,” Raphel Sanchez said.

Gina, one of the new board members, commented, "What does that have to do with our Motorhead unit? They make brake glue for cars and airplanes, don't they?"

Brothers nodded in Gina's direction, "Yes they make brake lining glue. Our glue is used in cars and airplanes around the world." He gave Gina and the rest of the board a short description of the physical properties of asbestos.

He sounded like a child reading out of a textbook. "Asbestos is used because of its physical properties. It absorbs sound, has a good tensile strength and is resistance to fire, heat, electrical and chemical damage."

Some of the board members were beginning to understand. Chase helped the process along. "Brakes get real hot when they are used in cars or airplanes," he began. "The glue that holds the brake material together has traditionally been made with asbestos. We still use asbestos, although, some manufactures have changed to substitute materials containing ceramic, metallic, carbon or aramid fibers. Asbestos is inexpensive compared to these substitutes," he concluded.

Eyes lit up around the table. "How old is the Motorhead plant?" asked Gina.

"Motorhead was built in the early 1950s between World War II and the Korean War. Amerastar purchased it in 1976,” Brothers noted while reading from page two in the briefing folder.

Gina asked if anyone has proposed that Motorhead convert its plant and use one of the asbestos substitutes.

Senator Giardina looked up from the folder in front of her and said, "I need to get back to Washington."

Wooster and Brothers glanced each other's way. Wooster thought to himself, little girl Bonni is bored.

Wooster readdressed Gina's question. "We have an ongoing study pertaining to a possible conversion, but feasibility studies are not promising. And we are exploring selling the factory, again.”

That bit of news perked everyone’s interest. Bonni stood up. Looking at her husband she said. “Keep me in the loop.”

Brothers excused Bonni from the meeting. "Thanks Senator for making the trip west for this meeting. Your presence means a lot to the shareholders."

The Senator pushed her chair back and asked Sal to walk her out to the car. Sal glanced at Brothers who nodded at the door. Sal followed Giardina out the boardroom door.

Brothers continued with the meeting answering numerous questions about Motorhead and it’s possible sale.