Aug 28, 2007, 7:55am ET

Toyota refuses to meet with union activists

Executives at Toyota's Kentucky manufacturing plant say they have no intention of meeting with a Kentucky workers' rights group that plans to call on them today to discuss worker issues. The labor group intends to deliver a list of proposals to senior Toyota management in an effort to correct what the group claims are worker problems at Toyot's Georgetown, Kentucky facility.



However, Toyota officials are reluctant to even speak with the labor group. "They sent us an electronic invitation to meet last Friday," Toyota spokesman Rick Hesterberg said Monday. "We declined that invitation. But if they have recommendations or proposals for us, they can leave them here for us to review."



The Georgetown plant is currently nonunion, but the UAW is trying to change that. According to Automotive News, in April, the UAW asked the Kentucky Workers Rights Board to investigate employee complaints about labor practices at the plant. The Workers Rights Board is a community group composed of 70 civic leaders, including religious leaders, elected officials and labor interests.



This biggest complaint against Toyota is that the company allegedly replaced a large number of its production employees with lower-paid temporary workers who rarely achieve regular employment or full-wage rates with the automaker. Toyota claims its use of temporary employees is in line with industry practices across North America.



Earlier this year, a confidential internal Toyota document was published stating the automaker's desire to reduce its U.S. labor costs in the coming years. The Georgetown plant employs 7,000 workers.

