KITCHENER, Ont. – The Unifor labour union is seeking to represent more than 6,500 workers at Toyota’s three Canadian auto plants in Ontario.
The union says it is filing an application with the Ontario Labour Relations Board to become the bargaining agent at Toyota Canada, and it expects its workers to vote in favour of unionization next week.
Jerry Dias, Unifor national president, declined to say how many of the workers had signed union cards to date, but said Unifor had been sought out by the Toyota employees and had “significant support.”
“We are absolutely confident that we have enough cards that meets the Ontario government threshold or we wouldn’t be here today,” he said during a news conference Monday.
“This is really about providing the type of support that’s necessary to build a better assembly plant, because when workers are feeling comfortable in their work environment, and the workplace is modified for them as opposed to them having to be modified for the workplace, then you end up with a much more productive workforce,” he said.
Top concerns for Toyota workers include wages, pensions and workplace issues, Dias added, noting that if the certification is successful, Unifor would go into bargaining immediately.
Toyota has three Canadian assembly plants – two in Cambridge and one in Woodstock, Ont. — but Unifor would bargain for all of them as one unit.
Dias said he expected the vote to begin next Monday, with the results released later in April.
If it succeeds, these would be the first Toyota plants in North America to become unionized.
It would be a welcome change for the union after workers at a Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., were unsuccessful in their own unionization drive by sister union the United Auto Workers last month.
Dias said he expected the process to go much more smoothly in Ontario, and dismissed concerns about the impact unionization may have on car company’s wish to remain or expand in Canada.
“People today are a lot smarter, they’re not buying (that) nonsense anymore,” he said.
“Toyota is here because of what the Toyota team members bring to the party. They’re here because of what Ontario brings to the party.”
Unifor was formed last year when the Canadian Auto Workers and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers unions joined forces. It represents 305,000 members across the country in 20 different economic sectors.
Comments