Unions competing to organize Toyota

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Winnipeg Free Press

TORONTO -- Campaigns by two different unions to organize Toyota Canada's workers appear to be escalating.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said this week it has received several requests for representation from Toyota workers.

But the Canadian Auto Workers said it is also in talks with employees at the company's two plants in southern Ontario.

CAW organizing director John Aman said both unions have been working to organize Toyota's Canadian workers for a long time.

Read more: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/unions-competing-to-organize-toyota-94646989.html

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Combined with this story about a former union plant getting reopened is good news.

http://www.nitrobahn.com/news/toyota-to-invest-50-million-in-tesla-produce-evs-together/

An interesting partnership and buyout has been making the headlines of the blogosphere recently. The Japanese auto giant, Toyota, has announced an investment of $50 million in the electric-vehicle startup Tesla. Tesla on the other hand will buy Toyota’s former NUMMI factory in Faremont , California which will be used for building its new $57,400 Model S sedan and other future Tesla vehicles.

Snip.

Toyota had been using the NUMMI facility to build the Toyota Corolla and Toyota Tacoma before the plant was shut down in April, laying off more than 4,500 workers. Tesla said that that the NUMMI plant was ‘capable of producing half a million vehicles per year or approximately 1 percent of the total worldwide car production.’ The company plans to employ 1000 people and produce about 20,000 units a year for the Model S, Tesla’s next model that is set to debut in 2012.

[Kingofalldems]

1. I like it--just a start hopefully

[Jack_DeLeon]

2. Thats a shame...

Hopefully Toyota doesnt get screwed by them.

I'm doubting Toyota and Tesla will use union workers again in NUMMI.

[Codeine]

6. what's a shame?

Unionizing Toyota is a shame? :wtf:

[boomerbust]

3. Hopefully

This will send a message all the way down to the RIGHT TO Work states. Even Texas.

[SocialistLez]

4. I doubt they'll get the message.

There is so much anti-union rhetoric these days, it's quite sad.

[Odin2005]

5. Organize, dammit, ORGANIZE!