Toyota resists union effort

[tgagneguam]

Toyota resists union effort

Chief of assembly operation in Ontario maintains that the 'CAW is not needed.'

By Eric Mayne / The Detroit News

The president of Toyota Motor Corp.'s Canadian arm has issued a stern rebuke of the Canadian Auto Workers' bid to organize 4,300 employees at the automaker's assembly plant in Ontario.

In a letter distributed late last month to workers at Toyota's Cambridge plant, Real Tanguay said the plant's growing work force - 1,000 new employees since 2001 - indicates the Canadian Auto Workers union has no place there.

"With so many new (employees), it is important to clarify and reconfirm our position: the CAW is not needed," Tanguay wrote.

The addition two weeks ago of 151 full-time workers at the plant has forced the union to postpone plans to apply for a certification vote.

Last month, the CAW said it would request permission from the provincial government to hold a vote that would determine if a majority of workers support or reject the union.

"(The mass hiring) kind of throws things off so, we're going to re-evaluate," said Hemi Metic, assistant to CAW President Buzz Hargrove. "It's pretty clear that they're worried about the union going in there."

If the vote goes against the CAW, the union would be prohibited from launching another organizing drive for 12 months. The CAW attempted and failed to organize the plant in 2001.

In his letter, Tanguay instructed workers how to discourage home visits and phone calls from CAW organizers. It also tells workers what to do if they've changed their minds about supporting the union.

"If you have signed (a union card) and want to get your card back, call the union," the letter says. "Ask them to return the card and remove your name from their rolls."

Full article

[JVal14]

Hemi Metic

Still love that guys name.
Firstly it seems odd to me that the CAW has been so unsuccessful with Toyota, as I alwasy thought Canada to be generally more liberal than the U.S. Maybe I'm wrong. Secondly, why isn't GM moving more jobs to Canada if this is going on?

[Mr. Corporate Events]

I hope the CAW gets a foothold in one of Toyota's solely-owned plants in North America. We'll see how much they're willing to 'be part of America' in the way they deal with a major union. They're really good at the 'having your cake and eating it too' shtick.

[dindak]

I'm not pro-union at all but since they drag down the big 3 it's only fair they start dragging down the Japanese plants also. It will certainly level the playing field a bit if they have to pay the same wages and benefits.

[SUPERBADD75]

GM would do good to convince its workers that the Union is doing little more than bringing down the company that employs them. is it better to be part of a Union, or employed? i've said it before and i'll say it again; Unions are no longer needed today. most companies have learned the value of treating your employees right. good for Toyota.

[mbukukanyau]

Unions are outdated and unnecessary, any business graduate will tell you, that mistreating workers is receipt for disaster

[SUPERBADD75]

Originally Posted by mbukukanyau

Unions are outdated and unnecessary, any business graduate will tell you, that mistreating workers is receipt for disaster

yeah, i'm right there with you. the funny thing is that most companies nowadays are treating their employees as good as or better than the Unions do, and in many cases have more to offer. more vacation, more benefits (cheaper insurance, better 401k plans, etc.), and a no-strike guarantee. the way i look at it, Unions really just promote and reward laziness and the lack of desire to work overtime. h e l l, maybe that's why they're so popular after all.

[Hudson]

Originally Posted by dindak

I'm not pro-union at all but since they drag down the big 3 it's only fair they start dragging down the Japanese plants also. It will certainly level the playing field a bit if they have to pay the same wages and benefits.

Try the other way around. It would be better for GM (and Ford and DaimlerChrysler) if they BOOTED the UAW and CAW. Why drag down Toyota when the idea of BOOSTING the Big3 seems the smarter way to go?

To the point above about more GM plants in Canada: GM already has contracts with the CAW. If they open a new plant, it must be unionized. The CAW has tried to unionize non-union plants and failed just as the UAW has tried (and failed) in the States.

Someone needs to tell the CAW (perhaps they've been told) that if the CAW were to have succeeded in unionizing Cambridge, Toyota would have MOVED their upcoming Ontario plant to the US or Mexico, which would mean FEWER Canadian jobs.

The UAW and CAW have stopped being "for the worker" since they don't see how they are adversely affecting the labor market in North America. GM has closed more and more plants (just as Ford has done) to try to remain competitive, but the unions are keeping unprofitable (and useless) plants running when union members could be trained for other jobs. Toyota (and Honda) can't get enough production capacity while GM and Ford have too much. Toyota or Honda could buy a former GM or Ford plant, employing former UAW/CAW workers, but these companies are too smart to get roped into a unionized facility.

Ultimately, it's to the detriment of the unionized worker. The day where the UAW/CAW was helping the assembly line worker has passed.

[hotrod1949]

Toyota workers in Cambridge benefit from the CAW representing workers at Big 3 manufacturing plants in Ontario, because Toyota meets or exceeds pay and benefits at Union plants to help keep the CAW out. If they didn't, they would be paving the path for the CAW.

Ontario also has some of the strictest labour and health & safety legislation in the world, so Toyota has some pretty formidable work rules to follow without a Union to oversee workers rights. As for moving production outside of Ontario if the CAW ever got a foot hold in Cambridge, that might be interesting, Cambridge provides Toyota with some of the highest quality product of any of there plants, anywhere.

Ontario is attractive to Asian car companies due to access to the U.S market, socialized medicine, lower labour costs due to the Canuck buck only being worth $0.80 U.S, and the level of edcation and skill set of its work force. Toyota would not like to see the CAW in their plant, but I don't think it would mean the end of future investment by Toyota in Ontario.

[mgescuro]

Originally Posted by mbukukanyau

Unions are outdated and unnecessary, any business graduate will tell you, that mistreating workers is receipt for disaster

Unions are necessary in order to look out fo rworker's rights.

But over zealous unions (UAW) that push and push and just leech off companies is unnecessary. Also, this day in age with government regulations and corporate self-policing, union intervention is unnecessary.

[Snafu_SS]

When i applies to my first job, i had to become a member of a union before i could be employed. that seemed a bit odd to me, i thought i had a choice, but not the case there. but after reading these posts, unions dont make much since anymore. if there are more out there like the uaw ripping companies apart, maybe that could be partly to blame for all this outsourcing of jobs to other countries?
i definetly dont ever wanna see a purely manufactured out of america gm arise, but that almost seems to be what they would have to do to be on a level playing field with the japanese car makers and their advantages.

[hudson32]

Instead of dragging Toyota down. I think a robust big 3 plus robust competition can only make GM better. Competition is always good, and I'd like to see GM prevail over the rest of the industry at their best without having too much power for the unions. I think nowadays the UAW has become more of a thorn to the auto industry, if anything.

[goblue]

Originally Posted by mgescuro

Unions are necessary in order to look out fo rworker's rights.

But over zealous unions (UAW) that push and push and just leech off companies is unnecessary. Also, this day in age with government regulations and corporate self-policing, union intervention is unnecessary.

Once I read the other thread about workers smoking on the line and getting their load on during breaks - its gone too far. Imagine what GM's quality would be if workers were required to be sober when they build cars, and weremore worried about doing their job right than their smokes. That's it - they need to do something.

[TiburonJT]

Originally Posted by mbukukanyau

Unions are outdated and unnecessary, any business graduate will tell you, that mistreating workers is receipt for disaster

There are a lot of business that do not treat there employees well. My dad has better benefits, more pay and greater job security in his job because of his union, however, the company he works for is a great company and they are doing great financially. The UAW is an example of how a Union that has gone too far.

[nikivee]

Good. I hope Toyota never allows a union.