Canadian Toyota Plant Faces Union Vote

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.