The Auto Writer

The Canadian Auto Workers union, considered by many to be tougher negotiators than America’s UAW, has been working for years to organize Toyota workers at the company’s Cambridge, Ontario plant. Ever since the first Corollas rolled off of the assembly line 20 years ago, the union has tried repeatedly to get in and has failed each time.

Union Backs Off Organizing Toyota Plant

Now, a different union, the International Association of Machinists (IAM), is trying a “soft sell” approach, one that they hope will convince workers to unionize. However, just hours before the vote was to held yesterday, Toyota received word from the Ontario Labour Relations Board that the IAM withdrew its certification application, thereby canceling the vote.

Japan’s Big 3 Immune From Unionization?

To date, no assembly plant in Canada or the United States operated by Nissan, Honda, or Toyota is currently unionized unlike GM, Ford, and Chrysler which have had a strong union presence for decades. Industry analysts cite the superior management-worker relationship at the Japanese-controlled plant as the major reason for this difference, with some believing that this will change once the Japanese companies begin to behave more like their North American rivals.

The rapid expansion of Japan’s Big 3 and the respective management’s strong efforts to diffuse labor issues have kept the unions out so far. However, some believe that an aging workforce, older plants and slower future growth will cause many workers to seek out and vote for union representation.

(Source: FinancialPost.com)