flipside909

Mar 17, 2010 10:44 pm US/Pacific

FREMONT (CBS 5 / KCBS / BCN) ― The union that represents 4,700 workers at the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. auto plant in Fremont voted Wednesday in favor of a proposed severance package.

Members of UAW Local 2244 voted in favor of ratifying the closing agreement by a 90-percent margin, according to the union. The severance package will bring a total of about $278 million to all NUMMI workers.

"We are deeply saddened to see these operations come to an end," United Auto Workers Vice President Jimmy Settles said in a statement issued tonight. "While this was not the outcome we had hoped for, the terms of this agreement will certainly help cushion the impact for our members."

UAW Region 5 Director Jim Wells said in a statement, "We are grateful to the members for the solidarity they've shown throughout this process."

The plant is scheduled to close on April 1.

Depending on how long they've worked at the factory, the severance package being offered to NUMMI workers is anywhere from $20,000 to $70,000 per person.

Earlier, Sergio Santos, the president of UAW 2244, told reporters at a news conference at the union's office, which is located across the street from the NUMMI plant, that the severance package mandates a gag order preventing him from speaking to news media.

Santos said at the afternoon news conference Wednesday afternoon, "This statement on the closing of the Toyota NUMMI auto assembly plant, will, by necessity, be my last."
Santos said the severance package offer "mandates a gag order that I believe violates our First Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution and our rights to freedom of association under the labor rights conventions of the United Nations International Labor Organization."

He said, "Nonetheless, under conditions set by Toyota, after the agreement is ratified, I will no longer be able to comment on the plant closing or its impact on our members."
But NUMMI spokesman Lance Tomasu said NUMMI did not issue a gag order.
Tomasu said, "The UAW committed of its own accord not to further denigrate NUMMI or Toyota as a term of the shutdown agreement."

He said, "In fact, the union negotiated and proposed specific language for that provision of the agreement."

NUMMI was a 25-year-old joint venture between General Motors and Toyota, but GM announced in June that it would withdraw from the partnership and Toyota announced in August that it wouldn't order anymore vehicles from the plant after April 1.

Toyota announced on March 3 that it was offering $250 million in severance payments to all NUMMI employees, including about 900 salaried employees.

Javier Contreras, the chairman of UAW Local 2244's bargaining committee, said Toyota recently sweetened its severance offer for employees by $28 million, bringing the package
to a total of about $278 million, including $206 million for union workers.

"We made improvements in economic and non-economic issues," Contreras said.
He said the union "had no choice" but to accept the offer because it was management's last offer.

Santos said, "I'm not happy with the settlement." But he said, "We are accepting the terms of Toyota's settlement out of necessity as a means of securing some limited funds for our families."

However, Santos claimed that NUMMI employees will "lose our homes, our health benefits and ultimatelyour health."

Juan Carrera, 61, said he voted for the offer because "there was no other choice."
Carrera said, "It's like take it or leave it" because time is running out before the plant closes.

Carrera said he's worked at the NUMMI plant since January 1985, which was shortly after the plant opened.

He said he previously worked at the plant for 25 years when it was run by GM.
Contreras said employees didn't get any severance when GM closed the plant in 1982.

Source: http://cbs5.com/business/nummi.shutd...2.1568752.html

mmarshall

If that's the case (and they voted 90% to accept it), then WHY were UAW/NUMMI members at the D.C. Auto Show in late January, standing just outside the doors, handing out flyers to the crowd that condemned Toyota, their U.S. operations, and the plant closing?

(That's not a question that's necessarily directed to you personally, Ryan....I just brought it up to make a point).

IS-SV

UAW clowns had nothing better to do standing outside of DC auto show. They could have better spent the time preparing for their next career. Personally I don't take people handing out flyers at the door seriously.

Toyota handled it's end of the bargain responsibly, certainly more responsibly than most American companies would have.

flipside909

My question is, GM abandoned NUMMI twice...and left the UAW without anything from:

1) 1979 when they pulled out from the Camaro/Firebird era.
2) 2009 when they withdrew operations from Nummi/partnership with Toyota.

So Toyota is the bad guy in this? Why doesn't the UAW picket GM dealers? But Toyota is offering them a severance package and GM never did...and TWICE! Hypocrites.

It was Santos, a NUMMI employee that said:

"However, Santos claimed that NUMMI employees will "lose our homes, our health benefits and ultimately our health."

Okay so why not think ahead and start looking for a new job instead of complaining about it? I don't feel any pity for them on that sentiment.

UberNoob

funny

im moving to the bay area in a couple of months
my office is very close to the NUMMI plant

maybe its time to do some house shopping in Fremont?
lol

mmarshall

I'm not officially taking sides on this issue, as I try and see it from both points of view, but as far as their next "career" in an economy like this, it's probably wishful thinking for many, if not most of them.

This is not the 1970's any more, when you could just walk into a car plant, fill out an application, get to work 5 minutes later, and help crank out the daily junk that Ford, GM, and Chrysler were building in those days (especially Chrysler). These days, they probably want you to have a Masters' degree just to sweep the plant floors.

Were they also at the San Jose and San Francisco shows that you attended?

Actually one American company (GM) WAS connected to that plant...at least indirectly. Chevy Novas, Chevy/Geo Prizms, and Pontiac Vibes were built there, along with their Toyota-badged cousins. But Pontiac's demise, of course, cleared GM of any need to be attached to that plant any longer.

Blackraven

Automotive union workers = socialism rearing its ugly head

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

No auto plant would want to hire them if they find out they were union anyways

IS-SV

Exactly, a new "career" should involve new skills and education, something these UAW people usually lacked. Sure the economy is slow, but it's not dead for those with marketable skills. They need to get retooled.

I think I saw some at SJ autoshow but they were largely ignored.

Again, I will repeat what I said above, Toyota handled it's end of the bargain more responsibly than GM for example (noting the severance payouts by Toyota). We all know about GM's history with the plant, but that's not the point.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

amazing, i don't even get 20k if i get laid off....

seriously, i never understand union and i hate what they have done

mmarshall

Fine. I wasn't questioning that....or your statement.

LexFather

Great post...