Toyota shifting Corolla production from a union plant to a nonunion facility

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jTG7SuUsayqE6bO9GPluAfU5blewD9GDAI8O0

Toyota to restart US auto plant, draws UAW ire

By DAN STRUMPF and TOM KRISHER (AP) – 20 minutes ago

Toyota's announcement that it will resume construction of a car factory in Mississippi should have been a much-needed piece of good news for the automaker on Thursday.

Instead, it drew fire from America's largest auto union, which accused Toyota of shifting production from a union plant to a nonunion facility.

The company, looking to win back some goodwill after a recall crisis bruised its reputation, promised to hire 2,000 workers at its nearly complete factory in Blue Spring, Mississippi, and start producing Corolla sedans by the end of next year.

The plant has been on hold since late 2008, when Toyota suspended construction as the economy fell apart and sales of new cars and trucks collapsed in the U.S.

But Toyota's decision to build Corollas there comes just weeks after announcing the sale of a California plant that also built the compact sedans.

[Hawkeye-X]

1. I have a Honda

My last Toyota was a 2000 Echo. Nice car, but lacked a lot of features for us to keep the car.

Toyota should reverse the decision to shift it to a non-union plant.

Unions are very important, and they put safety over anything else.

Toyota has had a very bad reputation lately in regards to safety. Even after BP, corporations should be 100% safety conscious.

Also, Mississippi is very red, and anti-union, and probably loves to cut corners - thus, I won't purchase another Toyota until it is union made.

I do realize my Honda was made in Japan and imported, but we have looked at other cars last August and narrowed it to either a Honda or Nissan.

Honda won because of its reliability, and the fact that our previous car was an Accord.

Hawkeye-X

[blue_onyx]

4. Unions are important....

yet you choose to buy non-union vehicles?

[Hawkeye-X]

5. My wife does 85% of the driving

so she has the first priority on which car to pick.

She does not like Ford at all, and refuses to buy Ford. Maybe our next car will be a GM or a Chevy product. I promise I will look into American made cars the next time we start looking for cars.

She chose the car, considering the CRV was perfect for her and her height (she is 5'2"), and I was not about to get into an fight with her over it. Our son enjoys the car.

I want to acquire another car, but we do not have the funds to pay for two cars right now. We are stuck in a 5 year financial plan (we need to refinance because interest is at 9%, which is way too high) through Honda - my credit is not that great. My wife's is marginally better. We will be consolidating our debts soon and hopefully be debt free in 3 years.

Hawkeye-X

[SocialistLez]

7. Are the Honda accords union made?

I remember seeing or hearing that they are made in OH.

My mom had an '09 accord.

I don't make the decisions in car purchases.

When I buy a car in the next 4 years (I am hoping it's 4...and no sooner) then it will more than likely be a Ford.

[blue_onyx]

8. No

Honda does make vehicles in OH but it's not a union plant.

[demosincebirth]

2. Make you want to trade in your Toyota?

[KamaAina]

3. That'd be Nummi in Fremont, a joint venture with GM

When Toyota decided to bail on Nummi, they blamed it on GM's bankruptcy!

Oh yes, the sale (of PART of the plant) was to automotive giant Tesla Motors. :sarcasm: Care to guess when demand for Teslas (at $128,000 apiece!) will catch up to that for Corollas?

[LWolf]

6. I'm unhappy with that. nt