09-23-2007, 02:52 PM
Oops, I need to clarify my pervious comment as it contains a major error.
It appears that Toyota itself is not a unionized company. What they have done was simply make several arraignments with second parties to provide unionized support to their operations in the US. This includes administrative operations, logistics and production. Example is they doe not produce the Tacoma (and others) at a Toyota own and operated plant, they contract to a unionized production line for it to be manufactured. This gives them the dual advantage of not having to deal with a union directly, but having union workers. According to their information, the use of leased union workers does occur in some areas although they do not identify to employees who is leased and who is not (they cite privacy).
It should be mentioned that they did claim the reason workers don't need a union is because they are paid the same competitive wages and receive the same benefits negotiated at unionized companies. The issue over increased organizing activity recently was due in part to isolated safety problems and “overzealous” management that is being addressed. Toyota denies they planned to lower compensation now those employees would be more concerned about just having a job. The information contained in the stolen management training document to lower American workers wages to Asian and Central American levels was just a training tool for managers.
It appears that Toyota itself is not a unionized company. What they have done was simply make several arraignments with second parties to provide unionized support to their operations in the US. This includes administrative operations, logistics and production. Example is they doe not produce the Tacoma (and others) at a Toyota own and operated plant, they contract to a unionized production line for it to be manufactured. This gives them the dual advantage of not having to deal with a union directly, but having union workers. According to their information, the use of leased union workers does occur in some areas although they do not identify to employees who is leased and who is not (they cite privacy).
It should be mentioned that they did claim the reason workers don't need a union is because they are paid the same competitive wages and receive the same benefits negotiated at unionized companies. The issue over increased organizing activity recently was due in part to isolated safety problems and “overzealous” management that is being addressed. Toyota denies they planned to lower compensation now those employees would be more concerned about just having a job. The information contained in the stolen management training document to lower American workers wages to Asian and Central American levels was just a training tool for managers.