Bloomberg reports that workers at Toyota's Cambridge assembly plant (Corolla, Matrix) will vote on whether or not to join The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM). Organizer Ian Morland says the union filed the necessary paperwork with Ontario's Ministry of Labor to mandate a vote by 3100 of the plant's 5,059 employees next Thursday. Morland says 40 percent of the required survey cards favored union representation. "The support we're seeing is overwhelming." IAM Canadian General Vice President Dave Ritchie's statement on the union's official website must send chills down ToMoCo suits' spines: "We welcome the opportunity to act as the representatives for the Toyota Canada assembly plant workers, in order to ensure that fairness and equity will always be a part of their daily lives in the work place." Saying that, members of Toyota's workforce at their Freemont, California NUMMI (New United Motor Manufacturing Inc) are UAW members.
Find Reviews by Make:
Read all comments
IAM? Old Buzz Hargrove must be snoozing.I think the term is union raiding.If they get a positive vote, which I doubt,it might get interesting.
I don’t think this vote will go forward.
The new Toyota plant in Woodstock is considered the same plant as the older Cambridge plant for union organizing purposes. In other words for Buzz to bring the CAW into Toyota he must organize both plants at once. This was a deliberate tactic by Toyota to keep the CAW at bay. Buzz was furious at hearing this since he thought with the aging of the people in Cambridge they would be vulnerable to unionization.
Mikey the term in the US I heard is poaching. When many unions broke away from the AFL CIO in the US their members as well as non members in those industries became fair game to competing unions to organize.
Does anyone know specifically what the IAM believes is unfair and inequitable about the current situation at this plant? Or is it worry about how workers might be treated in the future?
Issues include but are not limited to:
-Overtime demands caused by unrealistic management expectations of the PA (production availability) of inadequate equipment. Expectations of a 96% + PA seem to be unrealistic
-A change in benefit provider from Great West Life to Sun-Life was put in place and somehow resulted in reduced levels of coverage and many disputed claims…..seldom experienced under the former provider.
-A stepped up policy of disciplinary action taken by management against employees and the general feeling of inadequate and half-hearted representation by the HR representatives to dispute these actions.
-Reduced starting wages paid to new employees and a probation period that could see them work over 2 years on contract before being offered full time status.
-Proposed shift changes for some that, if mandated by TMMC would result in forced overtime on weekends at reduced levels of pay. (At present all Saturday hours are paid at 1 1/2X and Sundays at 2X) A “lifestyle change specialist” was hired by TMMC to prepare those affected.
If/when these shift changes occur it will be communicated that it was because of the results of the “survey” given to the employees and “thats what you wanted”….a tired old story that has worked well for them for the past 18 + years.
-Having said all that I have to say that TMMC has been an exemplary company in the Cambridge area and has many good people who want to see it succeed. As a company which has grown at a rapid pace it also has its problems.
Many feel frustrated in the way TMMC makes decisions and changes with very little input from the majority of its people who are employed in lower level jobs. No non-union company gets a union unless they deserve one. Thursdays vote will tell if TMMC needs one…50% + 1 rules either way.
The ontario labour relations board says what the bargaining unit is or isn’t not TMMC. They ain’t stupid and the Woodstock plant will be a different unit.
The real point is that the employee’s in Cambridge have always relied on the CAW / UAW to set the wage scale and as long as Toyota came close they would never organize.
It isn’t raiding, the CAW has tried and failed at least twice in Cambridge
Now with the results of the UAW agreement in the states, the VEBA at Ford, GM and Chryslerebus and the impending changes with the CAW, Toyota is laying the pipe to their aging, slowing, health care costing workers in Cambridge.
My bet is that the folks in Cambridge can get ready for a wage reduction into the 90% range of what the UAW/CAW settle for, which will be about 12 bucks an hour. Signing up with a union is inevitable even for the Cambridge workers who have enjoyed the results of UAW/CAW influenced wages for twenty years, without ever so much as one good information picket.
Welcome to the party folks, from someone who has been working to make GM better for 20 years. And just remember it is our intention to lay some pipe of our own.
I’m not sure if the union is going to change the way the auto industry has to do business in order to survive…
I feel that the workers in Cambridge, Ontario feel they need a Union, this time it was not the CAW which always like the UAW bargains from the Top down and not from the bottom up, whether its a good Union ie the IAM or not but only wish it was a Canadian Union and not one from the USA, many Canadian Union members much prefer a Canadian Union as most US based Unions offer nothing to Canadian workers except as a Dues collector for the International Union.
The Woodstock Plant is still being put together,ie its not a working piece yet so yes the Vote is only for Cambridge workers!
I also think it this day of hours of work, complusory overtime is not welcome by most workers as we all enjoy our time off with family and others so if Toyota is forcing a lot of overtime, then they deserve what they get!
“# gmbuoy :
March 15th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Welcome to the party folks, from someone who has been working to make GM better for 20 years. And just remember it is our intention to lay some pipe of our own.”
*
*
*
*
Careful where you sit down if you’re laying that much pipe gmbuoy….you could get a nasty surprise!
I don’t blame the employees of GM for what’s become of their company. I’ll bet not one of them were involved in the styling of the Aztec or the decision to ramp up gas guzzler production with fuel prices at historic highs. That’s only two examples…there are hundreds more. GM has steadily been mismanaged into what it is today.
Their alternative fuel systems are nothing more then empty promises as todays battery technology is years from making a totally electric car viable for most people. Hybrids are proven to be the best alternative for now.
Even as GM loses 10’s of millions their management somehow justifies bonuses for themselves. I guess if you set the target low enough you’re bound to hit it.
As the company sinks further into debt is it any wonder that no sane investor would risk a dime on it’s stock?
The UAW has looked after itself by making its pension/benefit administration deal and selling out its members wages in return. The UAW nailed it’s own coffin shut by doing this deal. They reversed years and years of hard fought wage increases in one session at the bargaining table just to get access to its members $$$.
Who is watching the UAW administration as they look after all this money?
I agree with you that the CAW will suffer the same fate when it’s turn at the negotiating table comes up. With a dollar at par and the free trade agreement in place Mexico will be the only winner here.
Tough times ahead for the entire industry in N.A.