Minnesota Auto Workers slam Toyota for closing union plant

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.workdayminnesota.org/index.php?news_6_4511

By Michael Moore
9 June 2010

MAPLEWOOD - Toyota operates union plants in Japan. So why did the company deliberately close its only union plant in the U.S. in April?
Workers at the Twin Cities Assembly Plant in St. Paul want an answer to that question – and until they get one, they intend to demonstrate outside Toyota dealerships in the Twin Cities, putting a spotlight on the company’s record when it comes to safety and workers’ rights.

The first of those actions took place June 4 outside Maplewood Toyota, at the busy intersection of Beam Avenue and Highway 61. A dozen Ford workers and supporters held signs imploring passing drivers to “Honk 4 People B4 Profits” – and plenty of them did just that.


Auto Workers protested outside the Toyota dealership in Maplewood.
Photo by Michael Moore

“We’re going to be taking these types of actions all over the Twin Cities area, hitting different dealerships throughout the area, just getting the message out that Toyota has some poor business practices,” said David Perkins, a worker at the Ranger plant in Highland Park and a member of United Auto Workers Local 879.

“Toyota is the only (auto) manufacturer in the United States that is non-union, but that’s kind of hypocritical because in Japan they are union. For whatever reason – well, for profit reasons, for money-driven reasons – they choose to have non-union manufacturers here in the United States. That puts American manufacturers at a distinct disadvantage.”

About 4,700 workers lost their jobs when Toyota closed its NUMMI plant in Fremont, Calif., April 1.

But its anti-union business practices are not the only gripe American workers have against Toyota.

FULL story at link.

[pipoman]

1. Hmmm...now which is it??

"“Toyota is the only (auto) manufacturer in the United States that is non-union,.."

Is Toyota 'domestic' or is it 'import'? Looks like these people are saying Toyota is domestic...

In other news, curious onlookers wonder when GM, Ford, or Chrysler opened their last new plants INSIDE the US, and why they seem to favor Mexico for both assembly and parts production??

edit...Oh and of coarse the looming question of why GM chose to abandon all of those Fremont CA workers....after all the plant in question was aJOINT EFFORT between GM and Toyota, no?

[DJ13]

2. I thought Honda's US plants were non union as well?

[pipoman]

3. I don't really know..at least they are employing US Americans

I like unions, problem is many have been forced into obsolescence by trade agreements and by companies sending formerly union jobs to countries which allow slave labor..

[kgnu_fan]

4. Let's show them American way!

[ProgressiveProfessor]

5. Have to wonder why they are not mentioning the other NUMMI company that pulled out too

[Omaha Steve]

6. GM was forced out of Fremont by bankruptcy, I guess you missed that?

That is a much different picture than Toyota making over 2 billion last year.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/07/06/business/main5135174.shtml

The Detroit car maker's Chapter 11 filing on June 1 was the fourth-largest in U.S. history.