Toyota's president is a newly appointed puppet and doesn't speak for Kentucky team members
As a full time team member at Toyota, if you’re not management, then you have no voice. And if you’re only a group leader in management then, you still have no voice. Since Toyota leadership is no longer Japanese, they have done nothing but take from us.
Kerry Creech's entire article is nothing but, non-union rhetoric and lies. He’s not from eastern Kentucky, he’s not from Harlan. He was born there and then moved near Louisville. He’s a newly appointed puppet. Toyota gave us 25 cents for a raise. Then, The Big 3 and the UAW worked out a new contract and paid the auto workers what they deserved so Toyota changed everything to try to keep the union out.
All of sudden we were all worth a $3 raise and top out cut from 8 to 4yrs. This was only done because of the union not, because of Toyota. And without a union, they’ll just raise our insurance or cut overtime out, like they have already, to get back the raise they gave us.
Anytime we’ve gotten anything since the Japanese left, something has been taken away from us to compensate for what they gave us. His entire article is a lie and my peers and coworkers will all have a problem with it. People need to know the facts of what really happens at that place, not what the President wants to lie about and tell you to write just to continue their anti-union propaganda.
—Shawn Clusky, 40509
From Toyota Kentucky president: Toyota team members speak for themselves. Labor organizations don't know what's best for us.
Kerry Creech does not speak for us all
I have been employed at Toyota since 2017. Coming from Eastern Kentucky myself, this job was a godsend after the mines shut down. In those seven years it feels like we have been in a race to the bottom in the way of pay and benefits. Not only that, but quality and safety as well. Kerry Creech does not represent all of us. Toyota's open door policy is a joke. It should be called an open ear policy because team members concerns go in one ear and out the other.
The fear-mongering and scare tactics that have taken place during this union drive are despicable. Spreading fear of layoffs when the cornerstone of Toyota production system is designed to prevent such. Not to mention the contracts that Toyota signed with the state of Kentucky under the Kentucky Job Retention Act used to finance the new paint shop and new KFlex lines.
Toyota isn’t going anywhere, union or otherwise. They have invested billions of dollars in the seven years I’ve been there and to spread fear that they will shut down the plant shows that they will go to any length to keep the team members from standing together and getting fair pay for the work we do. The list of benefits that have been taken away since the Japanese turned over upper management to the Americans is lengthy. I just wanted to say that Kerry Creech does not speak for us all and if you would like to tell the other side of the story there are several of us who would like to tell our side.
—Jason Howard, 40324
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Question the words of a company man
It’s always prudent to question the words of a company man. The possibility of unionizing Toyota, a company which has seemingly done right with its employees, will do no harm. Historically, protecting the workers, can only be achieved, optimally, from the outside!
—Larry Godhelff, 40205
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Toyota president is anti-union and doesn't speak for Kentucky workers
