ATTEMPT TO ORGANIZE AT GEORGETOWN PLANT

Lexington Herald-Leader ^ | Sun, May. 15, 2005 | ASSOCIATED PRESS

[toddst]

GEORGETOWN - United Autoworkers hopes its new digs near a Central Kentucky Toyota plant lift the union's presence and garner support from thousands of plant workers.

The 900-square-foot office building is an organizing feat for the union, which once used rented hotel space to organize its campaign and failed in prior attempts to establish a union.

Larry Moffatt, union organizing coordinator for the Kentucky-Indiana region, said that the building, which opened about a week ago, will be "mainly a working center" for the 150 to 200 workers who volunteer from the nearby Georgetown plant.

"It's a place for them to have their committee meetings, to work on their strategies, to work on community activities," Moffatt said. There will be a full-time UAW staff member in a nearby office, Moffatt said.

Toyota spokesman Rick Hesterberg said the union office "is certainly nothing new. We've seen them come and go so many times."

The UAW has tried to determine what level of interest there would be among members, Hesterberg said.

"The vast majority of our team members have told us time and time again, though, that they do not see the need for an outside organization to represent them."

The UAW asked Ford employees in Louisville to help organize the Georgetown union, hoping that fellow Kentuckians could influence the Toyota workers.

Some plant workers are encouraged by the union's efforts.

The headquarters "will help the effort," said Gene Toler, a plant worker helping organizing efforts. "It'll show the employees that the UAW are here to stay."

[1FASTGLOCK45]

Union? Scary stuff, this will be the end of toyota...

[skinkinthegrass]

Thanks, for the post...the Mafia will supply all the union labor needed. :/

[jec41]

The parasites have broke the airlines, schools, GM, Ford and now they want suck off of Walmart and Toyota. A pox on them!!!!!

[SmithL]

UAW = Un-American Whackos

[monkeywrench]

Unions have been losing membership for years. They only represent about 9% of the work force, anymore.

[1FASTGLOCK45]

I know a guy that works at ups, they are union and brags about how he gets "what he wants" because he's union. If i had my own corporation i would rather sink it than let a union take it over. AAARGH MATEY!

[avile]

the next time i want a toyota product i'll get a lexus-even used so that i dont have to have uaw workers screwing it up.

[palmetto65]

Well, the communist unions have almost run Ford and GM out of business. It's about time one of their victims is a Japanese company rather than an American one.

[niteowl77]

Larry Moffatt, union organizing coordinator for the Kentucky-Indiana region, said that the building, which opened about a week ago, will be "mainly a working center" for the 150 to 200 workers who volunteer from the nearby Georgetown plant.

Perhaps Toyota could enable these volunteers to be available 24/7.

[concerned about politics]

The parasites have broke the airlines, schools, GM, Ford and now they want suck off of Walmart and Toyota.

Yep, and they wonder why businesses want to outsource. DUH!

[concerned about politics]

"It'll show the employees that the UAW are here to stay."

And what a future unemployment check will look like.

[ol' hoghead]

200 hundred organizers into 900 sq. ft? That's about 25 inches square for each one. That's what you call solidarity.

[Hot Tabasco]

My company, a tier one supplier to the big 3 has a plant in Shelbyville Ky and on Feb. 7 they walked out on strike. My company was prepared to battle it out but a day later the powers that be at Ford, who that particular plant supplies, stepped in and said settle the strike no matter what. They were not going to allow our strike to slow down or stop their assemply at their plant that we supplied. Given the state of my company at this point in time, the idiots working at our Shelbyville plant just signed their own layoff slips. They may be patting themselves on their backs for their "victory" but I can guarantee you that 5 years from now they will be singing the unemployment blues.

The big 3 are the top dogs and the UAW is pulling their strings. As long as the imports choose to set up shop here and keep the unions out, the days of the big 3 are numbered......... Go Toyota!

[jackbill]

It's down to about 7% now - in the private sector.

Most of the union workers are in the government.

[BIGZ]

They just don't get it. You can have a company without a union but you can't have a union witout a company.

[avile]

true to a point.
when the big-three had a monopoly in the US they let the workers get away with showing up to work drunk or hungover.
those companies were then hurt by better built Japanese cars. however, it is not quite true to call the big 3 American since they are truly multinational corps loyal to no one

[JoeGar]

I know a guy that works at ups, they are union and brags about how he gets "what he wants" because he's union.

UPS also used to have a monopoly. Now there's FedEx, RPS, and even the USPS. UPS' prices seem too high now in comparison to their competition.

[1FASTGLOCK45]

Just curious, is DHL union or privatized?
You seem to be well informed. :)