Toyota has no intention of meeting with union organizers
The union talk is stirring again at Toyota's Georgetown, Kentucky plant, but management at the automaker has no intention of meeting with workers trying to unionize. A group of current and former employees at the plant called the Kentucky Workers' Rights Board have drawn up a laundry list of complaints, which include what they perceive to be unjustified firings, the use of too many temporary workers, and job-related injuries.The committee is putting together a recommendation which includes limiting low-paid temps to 90 day terms, and the establishment of a safety committee. Toyota's decision not to meet with the group came after the would-be organizers declared that they would hold a press release after a management meeting. Oops.
For years, there has been a lot of talk about organizing the Georgetown plant, and as of yet, the 7,000 full-time workers have never even voted for or against a union. A push to unionize a Toyota plant couldn't be coming at a worse time, however, as the UAW may have to take big cuts from the Detroit automakers. Since most Toyota workers make roughly the same hourly rate as UAW workers, we don't think the transplant workers will want to vote for a potential pay cut. If Detroit automakers get concessions, however, Toyota could cut worker pay anyway to keep its advantage.[Source: Auto News (subscription req'd)]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Jugomugo 9:18AM (8/29/2007)
Toyota needs to do one thing: KEEP THE UNIONS OUT!
Reply
Avinash machado 9:23AM (8/29/2007)
I fully agree. The unions should realise that they are now in the year 2007 and not 1907. Further are the unions really concerned about the employees or are they merely interested in lining their leaders pockets?
Castle 8:05PM (8/29/2007)
Honestly, the UAW has already screwed over the Big Three. Next thing you know, all the foreign manufacturers will opt to build plants in Mexico, another NAFTA country, instead of the US.
Richard 9:21AM (8/29/2007)
I applaud Toyota for this. Unions are pointless, they do no good whatsoever, and are just another way of someone else making money off of you and not doing a single thing for you despite promises to do so.
It's like a mini government, looks good, doesn't work.
Reply
Louis Duran 12:21PM (8/29/2007)
This comment is ignorant of history. Unions were (note use of past tense) responsible for major reforms in child labor, overtime pay, medical benefits, worker safety and the list goes on.
My opinion, unions are only useful as long as employers use intimidation to divide and abuse workers. From what I gather, Toyota workers are compensated pretty well. Toyota workers probably don't need a union but should voice their concerns about safety in such a way that Toyota will face unionization if the concerns aren't addressed.
The use of temp workers is an abuse in many other industries that needs to be checked since it is a back door for companies to classify temps as such to avoid paying benefits that a full time employee would have. Companies do need a flexible workforce but too many classify workers as temps far longer than they should.
Where I work, temps are limited to 1 year contracts and must leave the company for 1 year before they can return to another temp contract. This is to prevent the "perpetual temp" abuse that Microsoft was accused of in the late 90's.
Richard 12:29PM (8/29/2007)
Correct, unions were a very good thing once upon a time. But times have changed, unions are outdated and filled with people that want to cling to the old ways of making money because they don't have the ability to adapt.
Temp workers are a necessary evil. When the day comes that a full time worker can be expected to provide the same amount of work everyday temp workers will no longer be applicable, but since you have your good days and your lazy days there is going to continue to be temp workers to pick up the slack that you are creating.
epilonious 9:24AM (8/29/2007)
I've said it before and I've said it again. There is a wonderful place for the unions to go and empower disenfranchised, underpaid workers: It's called Mexico.
If they keep sniffing around US plants and companies that don't happen to have unions yet but seem to be getting along fine without them (and I don't think any of the KY plant workers have it any worse than corporate types), they look like a bunch of moneygrubbing punks.
Reply
Owen 9:48AM (8/29/2007)
They won't do that because there's no money in it.
AZMike 9:44AM (8/29/2007)
let's look at some basic facts, provided by the very same Automotive News that is quoted from here.
percentages of US built cars from the following manufacturers:
-Honda, 70% unchanged
-Nissan, 67%, unchanged
-Toyota, 52%, down from 68%, and still dropping
the Japanese artifically control the value of the yen, keeping it low, allowing the Japanese to built domestically, and export for less than building here. Toyota can't resist. the domestic Japanese market is flat, folks, and it is not expected to see any real growth in the future. the only growth with come from outside markets, like the USA.
while the Chinese market has been explosive for US and European manufacturers, it is tepid at best for the Japanese. for those who aren't students of history, suffice to say that many old wounds haven't healed between them.
much of the Camry production has shifted back to Japan from the Georgetown plant; when the services of workers there are no longer needed, they'll be handed their walking papers, and I'm sure, a hearty handshake. with no union, the workers are entitled to nothing else.
it always amazes me to see how many folks have sampled the Toyota Kool-Aid. they're consistently seen as enviornmentally friendly (and the builders of the Tunrda and Sequoia), and they build superior products (yet are beat by domestics on the J.D. Power survey consistently), and now we'll see how socially responsible they are when they start laying off workers here, all in pursuit of the mightly yen.
I'm far from a union supporter, but it's interesting to see how this country hs come full-circle. when unions became popular in the late '20's the cause was companies taking advantage of workers, and no job security.
does this have a familiar ring today?
AZMike
Reply
justin 10:04AM (8/29/2007)
Please don't quote JD Power. They consistently hand out bs awards to companies that don't deserve them for products that come out on the consumer end as pure crap. They are, at best, a very questionable source for such metrics.
FThorn 10:24AM (8/29/2007)
Then why are they adding Camry prod/cap at Subaru's Lafayette plant?
Dave 10:39AM (8/29/2007)
Toyota Camry North American production figures:
1/1/2006 - 8/26/2006: 232,016
1/1/2007 - 8/25/2007: 239,577
Looks like Toyota has built more Camry's in North America this year than last year. Please don't make up facts to support your opinions.
Source: Automotive News
AZMike 11:10AM (8/29/2007)
Dave,
the 52% number I listed (also from Automotive News) was for TOTAL sales for Toyota in the US.
you did bring up an interesting point, however. total US sales of the Camry in 2006 were 448,445; you state that 232,016 were built in the US.
looks like that leaves almost half were built in Japan to me. I haven't seen what the percentage works out for 2007, as the closing production date was just a few days ago.
being the gambling guy that I am, I suspect the Japanese percentage is even higher this year.
thanks for backing up my (and Automotive News') point.
AZMike
MKIV 11:15AM (8/29/2007)
AZMike,
Here is the way I see things. If I go to work I get paid. If I do a good job I get recognized and get to advance with in the company. If the company doesn’t need my services they let me go.
I see absolutely no problem with this. I fail to understand why any company would, be it in the auto industry or otherwise, need to keep paying for people whose services are no longer needed. The union, in my opinion, is a lazy person’s way to keep a job.
These are businesses and as such they are here to make money. Don't kid yourself into thinking that it's anything other than that. That is true for GM, Ford, or anyone else. Businesses do what they need to make a profit period and end of the story. The workers job is to guarantee his position with in the company. The way you do that is by working hard and being good at what you do.
C 11:17AM (8/29/2007)
Justin, as long as JD Powers doesn't give your Sweetheart toyota award, they don't count for anything. I see your point - but what if Toyota wins JD Powers - then what? Should we start believing in results again?
Aaron 11:29AM (8/29/2007)
damn you can't say it much better than that.
Toyota has the masses in the equivalent of a puppy love crush..
Speaking to this union bullcrap, companies get the unions they deserve..
We can beat our chests and say WAY TO GO TOYOTA, but if they don't deal with the issues, or clear the perceived issues they WILL face unionization. Period.
You can't hid under your desk and wait for the to go away. It doesn't work like that.
Businesses GET unionized by ignoring issues.
MiniMe 9:48AM (8/29/2007)
Another intelligent decision on Toyota's part. Being consistently intelligent in making decisions, isn't it why Toyota is #1 in the world?
Reply
Louis Duran 12:35PM (8/29/2007)
"Being consistently intelligent in making decisions, isn't it why Toyota is #1 in the world?"
That is a gross oversimplification of how Toyota became successful. Almost by definition making intelligent decisions leads to success. No, Toyota became successful by a relentless pursuit of improvement (I won't say perfection because even Toyota admit they can't be perfect). Toyota, consistently feeds back information from previous generations to improve new a new generation cars. They continuously look for ways to improve production efficiency as well as quality. There is no such thing as "good enough" at Toyota. Compare and contrast the Toyota Camry progression with Ford's Taurus. When the Camry was released in the early 80's it was a tin, econobox that few wanted and even fewer were proud of driving. After 6 or 7 generations of continuous improvement the Toyota Camry is the 2007 MT car of the year. Now look at the Ford Taurus... It was the best selling car in America in the early 90's, Ford took their eye off the ball, failed to improve it and discontinued it last year only to resurrect it later because it is completely boneheaded to trash that much brand equity. BMW practices the Toyota way better than anyone, possibly even Toyota. Continuous improvement and delivering products that many people crave even if they know they can't afford it.
Aetius 2:36PM (8/29/2007)
I don't know ANYONE who 'craves' a Toyota product. They buy it because they don't want to stand out in the parking lot and hopefully get some money back when they finally sell the appliance.
Oblio A 10:58AM (8/29/2007)
A union would simply take money out of the workers pockets, reduce efficiency, and increase car prices. Then, the union would push some scam pension plan on the workers so the union could default on it later.
Reply