TOYOTA,  THE ORIGINAL MODEL FOR LEAN MANUFACTURING

IS THIS WHAT WE HAVE TO LOOK FORWARD TO?

From the AFL-CIO Working Families E-Activist Network

"Moving Forward."  That's how Toyota describes itself to its customers.  But on the treatment of its workers, the company is stuck in reverse.

Toyota has received $371 million in state and local tax subsidies since 1986, according to publicly available records.  In return, the company promised to bring quality manufacturing jobs to states like Kentucky.  But Toyota isn't keeping its promise.  At a town hall forum March 31, workers at the plant in Georgetown Kentucky told about co-workers who were injured on the job and then never came back to work.  Employees told about full-time workers being replaced with temporary workers who get paid half of what regular employees earn and cannot afford health insurance. .....

These trends could be just the beginning.  The Detroit Free Press reported Feb. 08 that a "report from Seiichi Sudo, president of Toyota Engineering and Manufacturing in North America, said the company should strive to align hourly wages more closely with prevailing manufacturing pay in the state where each plant is located, 'and not tie ourselves so closely to the U.S. auto industry, or other competitors.' "  In Kentucky in 2005, manufacturing wages were 56% of motor vehicle manufacturing wages.

At the town hall forum a few miles from the Georgetown plant, workers demanded the company respect its employees and the community that made the plant successful.

Tim Unger, an 18-year veteran Toyota worker, said:  Shoulders would wear out, wrists would require surgery and back and hands started to fail.  It seems as if the good people who contributed to the success of Toyota were being used up and disposed of like garbage.

Added Noel Christian Riddell, a 10 year veteran skilled-trades worker:  We executed model-change activities faster than any other manufacturer.  I truly felt my contributions played a role in the company's success.  But something happened.  After only a few years, training ceased.  Suddenly, I had no sick days.  My raises became smaller.  My benefits were cut.   My group's manpower was slashed.  And the number of temporary employees steadily grew.

It's time Toyota gave these workers the justice on the job they deserve.

You can take action to help the Toyota workers by going to the AFL-CIO Working Families E-Activist Network through the AFL-CIO website link.  There you can send a message to Steve St. Angelo, head of Toyota North America, to till him that the workers deserve more respect.