Reuters: UAW pressuring Tesla/Toyota to hire union workers at former NUMMI plant

[Omaha Steve]

http://green.autoblog.com/2010/05/21/reuters-uaw-pressuring-tesla-toyota-to-hire-union-worker/

by Steven J. Ewing (RSS feed) on May 21st 2010 at 3:01PM



Yesterday, Toyota and Tesla announced that the two companies would be collaborating on electric vehicle development. Tesla will be taking over the NUMMI factory in Fremont, California, which was recently closed. Now, the United Auto Workers is urging Toyota to hire union workers to operate the plant, giving jobs back to the people who were rendered unemployed after the NUMMI shutdown.

UAW president Ron Gettelfinger has issued the following statement:

"Our union's hope is that this venture will give first hiring preference to former NUMMI employees who are already trained and highly skilled."

As you'll recall, NUMMI was closed at the beginning of April after the Toyota/General Motors joint venture fizzled, a development that left roughly 4,500 union workers unemployed. Thus, it only makes sense that the UAW would be fighting to reinstate these workers' jobs now that Tesla plans to build its Model S sedan at this facility.