Machinists Begin Toyota Organizing Drive!

Tuesday October 30, 2007
For Immediate Release

Cambridge, ON – If first impressions are any indication of things to come, then the International Association of Machinists have laid a solid foundation for success in their bid to organize workers at the Toyota assembly plant here.

“The response from the workers here has been overwhelming,” said IAM District 140 Organizer Ian Morland. “We targeted five gates at the Cambridge plant and the workers took all the reading material we had to offer and then asked for more.” The Cambridge assembly plant employs 3,800 workers with a further 1,800 being hired for a second assembly plant in Woodstock, Ontario which opens in 2008.

“These people are telling us they want a union that will address their workplace issues,” said Morland. “They’re facing a wage reduction, mandatory overtime on weekends, promotion favouritism and vacation blackout periods. The Machinists have been in Canada for more than one hundred years with a reputation for providing the best representation and service to its members.”

The IAM represents thousands of members in the Canadian automotive transportation sector at assembly and parts manufacturing facilities in Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia. The IAM represents more than 650,000 active and retired members in North America and administers contracts with over 8,000 employers in transportation, woodworking, aerospace, manufacturing and defense-related industries.

Visit the IAMToyota website (iamtoyota.ca)

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For further information:
Ian Morland – IAM District 140 Organizer
905-671-3192 ext 224/416-875-8140

Bill Trbovich – IAM Director of Communications
416-386-1789 ext 31/416-735-9765