The UAW and the Teamsters union protested outside the Japanese Embassy in Washington today calling on Toyota to reverse decisions to close a California plant and hire nonunion carhaulers.
Roughly 100 supporters gathered as UAW Vice President Bob King and Teamsters President James Hoffa delivered a letter for Japan Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama calling for a meeting with Japanese officials and Toyota.
The Japanese automaker announced last year it was closing the plant in Fremont, Calif., after General Motors pulled out of the joint venture under its bankruptcy. The plant is the only Toyota plant organized by the UAW, and has about 4,700 workers.
"It's betrayal of these loyal workers in Fremont to close the plant and then announce plans to build a new plant in Mississippi," King said.
King and other union officials linked Toyota's recalls to the management decisions made to close down the California plant, saying both were examples of how Toyota had strayed from its principles.
Problem with this line is that its a lie. I wonder why they are not protesting GM, oh way, the UAW owns GM now so they fudge it.
Like a slow motion train wreck, the biggest economic shock to hit the Bay Area is approaching the point of impact as New United Motor Manufacturing prepares to shut down March 31, putting more than 4,700 United Auto Workers out of jobs and setting off a ripple effect of layoffs among supply firms.
Nummi started in 1984 as a joint venture of General Motors and Toyota. The Chronicle has covered this economic disaster since GM pulled out of the partnership last June as part of its bankruptcy, and Toyota decided in August to end production in the plant that had been its manufacturing beachhead in the United States.
A brief Chronicle story about a raucous union meeting on Sunday to deal with issues around the shutdown made reference to a video of a shouting and cursing match between union leaders and voices from the rank-and-file.
NSFW video
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