UAW president Bob King recently pressed transplant automakers to allow free elections for plant employees, but Toyota North American Chief Quality Officer Steve St. Angelo doubts that Toyota workers have any desire to unionize.
As it stands, Toyota doesn’t allow the UAW to lobby its workers inside of its plants. King is trying to change that rule, which would give Toyota factory workers the opportunity to join the UAW. However, St. Angelo is dubious that Toyota workers even want that opportunity.
Unlike UAW-staffed plants, Toyota doesn’t lay off workers when a plant is idled. Instead of sending workers home without a paycheck, Toyota comes up with ways to keep employees busy, such as team-building exercise or efforts to improve the surrounding communities. “With the money spent not laying off people during the recession, I could have built a plant,” St. Angelo said.
Additionally, St. Angelo said he doesn’t understand the UAW’s tactic of picketing Toyota dealerships. The UAW has picketed over 50 California Toyota dealerships over the last few weeks in an effort to force the Japanese automaker into letting its employees join the union.
“I still don’t understand why they are picketing our dealerships when the dealerships have nothing to do with the workers,” St. Angelo said. He added that Toyota treated the UAW “better than GM” following the company’s decision to close its NUMMI plant in California.
References
1.’Toyota exec…’ view
