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Teamsters Union Fights Toyota’s Greedy Carhaul Job-Killing Practices
The Teamsters Union is fighting Toyota’s greed in which the manufacturer is shifting business from dependable and experienced Teamster-represented carhaul companies to lower-bidding nonunion companies, a shift that is costing numerous Teamster carhaulers’ jobs and lowering work standards while the company is raking in record profits.
For the period ending March 31, 2015, Toyota had record net income, operating profit and global revenue. Net income jumped 19 percent to $18.14 billion in the 12 months ending March 31, while operating profit rose 20 percent to $22.99 billion.
“Despite these record profits, Toyota wants to make even more money by contracting with lower-bidding nonunion carhaul companies that push their workers to labor 60-plus hour workweeks with substandard working conditions and benefits,” said Kevin Moore, Director of the Teamsters Carhaul Division. “Once again, we are seeing corporations putting the zest for ever higher profits way ahead of the way it treats the people who make company successful, in this case the experienced, hardworking men and women who deliver their vehicles to dealerships. We will fight this greed head on to protect our members’ livelihoods.”
The union is assembling a team of experts to fight Toyota’s actions, and more information will be released soon on actions that will be taking place.
For now, Toyota’s job-crushing actions are taking place at several carhaul facilities east of the Mississippi River, with some facilities losing 30-percent to 50-percent of the Toyota work so far. It is occurring while the Teamsters National Automobile Transporters Industry Negotiating Committee has begun national contract negotiations with the employer group.
“We’ve seen this strategy before during national contract negotiations and we will once again do what it takes to protect our members across the country,” Moore said. “Sadly, the war on workers continues in this country even as the economy picks up. I will be working with our carhaul workers to ramp up our response.”