The Toyota you Don't Know...

[Clocker]

Interesting info. on Toyota's abusive labor conditions in the USA as well as abroad.

Prius Line Worker Worked To Death
http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2008/06/18/090268.html

Engineer Worked to Death
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/370115_overwork10.html?source=mypi

Unfortunately, this is probably the wave of the future for most of us.

 

[Stereodude]

Please... It's Japanese culture. It's not Toyota enslaving people.

I guess when you can't compete you complain.

 

[Clocker]

Not true. There are just some basic human rights that need to be respected. Hence the lawsuit by the Japanese family. If it was their culture, why would they sue?

You might say that one can just quit or relocate if they don't like the work. I'd argue that the employees at those locations don't have that option. I'm not advocating the support of Unions but just the respect of basic human rights (through enforcement of Laws I guess).

 

[Clocker]

Don't get me wrong. I understand, It's a personal decision, but, personalyl, I would not want to buy a product that I knew was produced by workers under those conditions if I had an alternative choice and knowledge of the conditions.

 

[mubs]

Re. the engineer, "In the two months up to his death, the man averaged more than 80 hours of overtime per month..."

That's an average of 60 hours a week in those two months. I've worked more than 80 hours a week continuously for a stretch of 9+ months. Those were 7-day weeks. My wife complains to this day that I was never home during her pregnancy of our only child. This was in the U.S., in CA. I'm quite certain this guy had more pressure and stress than I did, but my experience was no picnic either.

 

[Bozo]

Interesting reading. I'll take with a grain of salt though.
It did mention the engineer had heart desease. That sure didn't help.
Where I work, we are getting more and more 'temp' employees. Same work, less pay.
The local grocery store only allows most of their employees to work 38 hours a week. That way they are considered "part time" and recieve no benefits and minimum wage. The same is true at the clothing store where my wife used to work.
It's not just Toyota.

Bozo :joker:

 

[Stereodude]

Don't get me wrong. I understand, It's a personal decision, but, personalyl, I would not want to buy a product that I knew was produced by workers under those conditions if I had an alternative choice and knowledge of the conditions.

Maybe we should start talking about how GM treats their salaried non-union employees then. I would bet Toyota treats their employees far better.

 

[Clocker]

I can tell you that is not true based on my personal experience and the fact that I enjoy have a fulfilling life outside of work...at least for the time being. That even considering I am working on the most hyped and important program in the company's history.

 

[Stereodude]

I can tell you that is not true based on my personal experience and the fact that I enjoy have a fulfilling life outside of work...at least for the time being. That even considering I am working on the most hyped and important program in the company's history.

How about mandatory unpaid overtime for the engineers? How about the games GM played so that there is no automotive profit (so they didn't have to pay any profit sharing to the salary employees) even when the company was wildly profitable? How about taking away benefits from the salaried employees while they were increasing the benefits they gave to the UAW? Oh sure... I'm sure Toyota is just much worse!

 

[LunarMist]

Still trying to shill for the GM? Do you think that bashing other automobile companies at every turn enhances your credibility? Please give it a rest. I would not buy a GM if it were the last vehicle on earth.

 

[jtr1962]

Honestly, those conditions are no worse than many jobs I've worked. 80 hours a month overtime is 20 hours per week. I did that and more for months at a time. That engineer probably had health issues which would have killed him even with a 40 hour week. Besides that, on all of the jobs I had I never had paid holidays, sick days, health insurance, workman's comp (except at the taximeter place), or vacation (either paid or unpaid). I dealt with lots of other crap also. They want you to work 24 hours straight-that's what you do. You want a day off because you're tired or even sick-tough. You get sick enough to need hospitalization forget it-your job won't be there when you return. You want a life outside of work-quit. You complain about anything-automatic fire. I also worked for less than minimum wage a few times (it was all I could get at the time and I needed money). These are the conditions lots of other workers have faced also. By world standards most jobs in industrialized countries are pretty cushy. Just ask the rickshaw driver in India who pounds hot pavement with his bare feet (because he can't afford shoes) 12 hours a day if he would work for Toyota.

 

[Howell]

GM has always been its own worst enemy.

"Hopefully, GM and the others will come to their senses and refuse to play the UAW's game. If they give on this one, they'll show the UAW how desperate they are. They'll signal the UAW that they're willing to be the union's bitch in other power struggles. But The Big 2.8 want that VEBA so bad it hurts."
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/uaws-desperate-play-for-denso/



Also interesting:
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/by-the-numbers-what-is-so-rare-as-a-truck-sold-in-june/

 

[Stereodude]

GM has always been its own worst enemy.

"Hopefully, GM and the others will come to their senses and refuse to play the UAW's game. If they give on this one, they'll show the UAW how desperate they are. They'll signal the UAW that they're willing to be the union's bitch in other power struggles. But The Big 2.8 want that VEBA so bad it hurts."
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/uaws-desperate-play-for-denso/

That article is 10 months old. I would bet that the UAW will never successfully union a Japanese transplant factory. The Japanese aren't stupid.