AFSCME 3357-HOF'S BLOG

Union Rumblings at Toyota
Georgetown, Kentucky Plant has labor strife


There is talk of a union vote (for the first time) in Toyota's flagship factory in Georgetown, Kentucky. According to an article at Autoblog.com, Toyota management is refusing to meet with worker representatives in the plant. In this case, the worker representatives are part of a group called the Kentucky Workers Right Board. The Autoblog article does not specifically state whether the representatives from the KWRB are Toyota employees. In an editorial at thetruthaboutcars.com, writer Frank Williams asserts the KWRB is a UAW creation. Williams also opines that if the UAW agitates in Georgetown, that Toyota will close its only UAW plant in the US, the NUMMI plant in California.

What's wrong at Georgetown? Workers are complaining about the injury rate and what they deem to be excessive use of low-paid "temporary" workers. It was reported in the news earlier this year that, with bonuses and overtime, workers at Georgetown made more money last year than the average UAW worker. Fringe benefits, however are not comparable. Needless-to-say, Toyota workers don't have full retiree healthcare.