Hardly news. The worldwide auto industry is going to be on a downslide for at least 12-24 months. Not cutting back on uneeded labor costs and other trimable expense would be stupidly wasteful. This is where Toyota ( Honda/Nissan/Hyundai ) have a huge advantage over the D3 here. They can be more flexible in response to severe external forces.

Every other company in the US is looking down the road and cutting back - or they should be.

 

It's not hardly news when the company cutting jobs made it a point, even recently, that they don't cut permanent jobs.

 

But he's SO OLD!

 

But he's SO OLD!

So is the Senator from Alabama he is talking about.

 

It was bound to happen sooner or later.

 

Toyota does not have a plant in Alabama.

 

Toyota has an engine plant in Huntsville, Alabama.

 

Not an unexpected move from Toyota.
If corporate giants like Microsoft can layoff 5,000 people.... so can Toyota.

The question does come up when you look at a company that is still running a profit and laying off people like Microsoft did.

It's a sign of good management up at top -- thinking about the future and trying to be one step ahead of the game.

 

Of course they are still making a profit.....when you charge as much for your vehicles as the big three do, and yet it costs you a lot less to build them, then you make a good profit for sure.
Thanks to the unions, we cant win ..........

 

This simply proves what many have already known: Toyota, like any other corporation, is managed by fallible people. And certain types of mistakes are accentuated in more difficult economic times.

I know that reasonable people are not going to use this news as per se evidence of Toyota's position being as tenuous as Detroit's. As much as I'd like that to be the case, it really isn't.

 

It is news,and when added to the fact that they are not running a new plant (Woodstock,ON) to capacity, it shows how serious the situation is. The numbers quoted seem small given the sales drop they have seen.

 

Can't be. Must be the employees's fault. Toyota brings only blessings, happiness, and smiles wherever it goes, and saves endangered species in the process.

 

:fall:
oh my god, that was hilarious...

 

Just shows how ignorant most of the people that run this country truly are.

Can't be. Must be the employees's fault. Toyota brings only blessings, happiness, and smiles wherever it goes, and saves endangered species in the process.

LMAO... Priceless!

 

But they said their workers would help keep our parks clean.

 

Sombody please explain to me why when GM buys out or early retires workers its protrayed as they fired them. However when the mighty asian transplants FIRE people its called easing out. What a bunch of hooie!

And GM's problems are not a result of the economy, ask any pundit with three brain cells. Its their management (yea right)

So on the flip side toyota's managment must suck!! Its not the economy ask any Domestic basher they'll tell ya and keep a straight face while doing it.

 

Sombody please explain to me why when GM buys out or early retires workers its protrayed as they fired them. However when the mighty asian transplants FIRE people its called easing out. What a bunch of hooie!

And GM's problems are not a result of the economy, ask any pundit with three brain cells. Its their management (yea right)

So on the flip side toyota's managment must suck!! Its not the economy ask any Domestic basher they'll tell ya and keep a straight face while doing it.

And because they are on track to take their first loss in 70 yrs the CEO was sent upstairs to live out his days in the attic. And GM did what after losing how much value for the owners? It kept the management completely intact.

Flexibility. Things turned very ugly worldwide and the company was caught blindsided, so it's now time to cut labor and costs and ditch the CEO. Done!

And GM did what? The management team is still completely intact.

 

Thanks to all of you who corrected my misunderstanding re: a Toyota plant in Alabama. Info. uploaded.
Cheers,
Ed

 

And so it completes the cycle of life.

 

Must be the reason they fired number one jinshi and replaced with nephew.

 

So, the old argument of buying a car from a Japanese owned corporation is the same as buying a car form a domestically owned corporation should now be re-examined. I found it telling that Toyota is phasing out production of the Prius here in the States while continuing to build it in Japan for export to our shores. More to come, I'm sure.

 

Wonder what people will start thinking of Toyota when their might, untouchable automaker starts killing jobs!

 

On TTAC there are posts suggesting the story is false, made up to make Toyota look bad. I say the story is true, but if it's not, can you imagine someone in the media doing that to a car manufacturer..


edit....My bad, it wasn't on TTAC, i read these comments on freep.com.

 

not really surprising is it

 

If Toyota is bleeding $1 - 2B per month they're going to have let go of more than a token number of employees. I think the problem at Toyota is the optics. They've claimed they're different but if they suddenly have to off and terminate staff they're "just like the other guys".

My view, this is just the beginning.

 

My view, this is just the beginning.

Exactly.

They are as out of position as anybody in the industry ie more than most - sure their 'start' position is strong, really strong - well so what.

The Sixth Army looked pretty good until they rolled up to Stalingrad and flight 1549 was doin' just fine until about 2900 feet.

Better yet, they pretty much look like the I.J.N. 1st and 2nd Carrier Air Divisions on the morning of 4 JUNE 42 around 0800 local time - tryin' to change up - yet again.

The team they got is completely green in the sense of having never having to face anything remotely like this before - which is good - for everybody else.

A brilliant, tactical retreat is in order here, something this group - or the other one has never had to execute before much less recognize the need for it.

Time to pull 'off ' the target, and pull back - need to regroup - then go forward later.

Through no fault of their own they are not only out of position but are now also massively over extended.

 

I was told toyota does not fire, it just gives people unpaid vacations for the rest of your life.

 

mgescuro:

So you think Microsoft has good management?

Laying off 5000 people after netting over 4 billion dollars, while at the same time asking Congress for more visas to hire more foreign workers.

Microsoft is a perfect example of how many corporations don't give a darn about the US. Bill Gates should be villified everywhere he goes and Congress should haul him for a hearing again about how he needs all these foreign workers while laying off 5000 American workers.

Treat him just like Shelby and Corker treated the auto executives.

 

mgescuro:

So you think Microsoft has good management?

Laying off 5000 people after netting over 4 billion dollars, while at the same time asking Congress for more visas to hire more foreign workers.

Microsoft is a perfect example of how many corporations don't give a darn about the US. Bill Gates should be villified everywhere he goes and Congress should haul him for a hearing again about how he needs all these foreign workers while laying off 5000 American workers.

Huh? How exactly does this work? Foreign workers get the exact same pay as American workers..........otherwise you cannot hire them. Period. There's no cost benefit to hiring expatriates. In fact, if anything, it's worse because if you hire a foreign worker you also have to pay for all the fees associated with processing his/her visa.

Bill Gates and many other CEOs in engineering and other high tech industries are 100% correct - you either fix the HUGE issue with public education in this country (terrible science and mathematics high school education compared to the rest of the world which discourages many kids from pursuing a career in science) or you're stuck hiring foreigners. PLUS, most foreigners hired in the US are graduates of American universities and have advanced degrees It's beneficial to keep them here versus taking knowledge back to their home countries.

 

According to www.x-rates.com the Dollar/Yen exchange rate is ( $1.00 = 88.82¥ ) as of today. I think this is hurting Toyota and others much more than they are letteing on, even more than the 37% drop in sales. As far as I'm concerned, I hear 88! Can I get an 85, 80, Can I get a 75... It was 120¥ to the dollar in 1999 and has been over 100 for most that time since then until 2008. Holding you own currency value down can give you a big advantage that why the Japanese government does it and why China does it now.

 

how long before that story got posted on Autoblog and some other car blogs (I doubt then CBS, CNN, Fox, ABC, NBC will jump so quick on this)

 

how is this a slap in Shelby's face?

 

They have to shrink when times are tough.

I get that.

GM won't be able to lay anyone off.

 

Wow, 1000 jobs.

GM or Chrysler would kill for that kind of problem.

Looks more and more like ALL Chrysler jobs will be lost.

Press: Chrysler won't 'stuff cars into dealerships'

Bradford Wernle
Automotive News
January 23, 2009 - 4:42 pm ET

"We took our plants down Dec. 19, and we have had zero revenue since that time," Press said. Chrysler does not want to "stuff cars into dealerships."

Chrysler dealers have stopped ordering cars. Completely stopped. A dealer doesn't want to buy $1 million in units and wake up the next day and find out Chrysler has gone bankrupt and have to market and sell them under a bankrupt banner. I don't blame them.

The problem is now its a vicious circle, no dealer orders means Chrysler will fail, Chrysler's doom means no dealer orders.