Autoblog

The Detroit News is reporting that the United Auto Workers union is hosting a town hall meeting for workers at Toyota's manufacturing plant in Kentucky this Saturday. Not an organization known to mince words, the UAW has labeled the meeting's topic as "The Human cost of Toyota's Success". A press release issued about the meeting states that workers will talk about on-the-job injuries, the use of temps, and concerns about conditions at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky. In attendance will be UAW Vice President Terry Thurman.

As far as we know, the UAW has not managed to establish a credible presence at any automotive assembly plant in the U.S. owned by a foreign automaker. The union would certainly have us believe that the town hall meeting will be attended by a number of disgruntled Toyota employees ready to take action against their employer in a more organized way. Indeed, Thurman states "Our union is firmly and fully committed to helping these workers gain justice."

Problem is, we've never heard of these gross injustices being perpetrated against workers employed by foreign automakers. Perhaps that's because these workers have never had an organized voice before, but it could also be because their jobs are no worse or better than those under the umbrella of the UAW at domestic automakers. Truly, we really don't know which is the case and are very interested in what the workers at Toyota's assembly plant in Kentucky have to say.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Call it a case of "He said, he said." A Toyota spokesman says the Japanese automaker doesn't see an interest in unionizing among workers at its production facility in Kentucky, while UAW spokespeople say workers are showing more interest than ever in forming a union. So which is it? Could be a bit of both. UAW membership has been dropping nationwide, but the organization still has an undeniably powerful place in the industry. With more foreign automakers building plants in the States, particularly in the South, the UAW has failed to gain a foothold in these facilities.

The Detroit News is quoting Toyota spokesman Rick Hesterberg as saying the carmaker sees no evidence of increased UAW interest among its Georgetown, Kentucky plant workforce. But the News also offers statements by UAW president Ron Gettelfinger and the union's head of organizing efforts, Terry Thurman, that contradict Toyota's position. They say there is "increased activity" ever since workers found out about a proposal to lower some workers' wages to cut costs. They admit that Toyota workers' wages are close to UAW rates, but say the difference is in how volatile wages can be at a non-union plant.

Though the UAW's power has been waning, the slow resurrection of profits at General Motors will give it more bargaining power at the table this year. If a union ever were established at a Japanese-owned production facility in the U.S., that precedent would also create the opportunity for a resurgence in the UAW's popularity among hourly auto workers.

[Source: The Detroit News]