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Why did you identify Toyota only? The fact is that the UAW has been unsuccessful in unionizing Toyota, Nissan, Honda and BMW plants -- to name a few. In one election at a Nissan plant, workers voted 2 to 1 against the UAW.

Here is the problem for the UAW: Why should workers vote for a union that has failed to defend hundreds of thousands of its own members’ jobs? (GM, Ford, AC-Delco, ...)

The bottom line: As long as there is demand for BMW's, Toyota's (what-ever), there is job security. As long as workers feel that their wages, benefits, working conditions are sufficient and that they can improve their situation without the UAW, the UAW will be seen an unnecessary.

I work at Toledo Jeep Wrangler assembly plant and have been a Local 12 union member for 29 years.I don't agree with everything the union does but I feel they are needed at our plant anyways.When you see a tire fall 40 feet off a conveyor and almost hit someone and the boss says just keep the line moving it wont happen again,that is when the union comes in handy.Also someone said something about seniority,that doesn't mean much anymore.Seniority is a thing of the past and is only used to pick a job and know when you can retire.Also someone said something about our free health care,wrong,we have a deductible and pay all doctors visits.But I do know that if you work at Toyota that temporary workers have very little rights and how long to they are hired permanent?Do they string them on for years and after the worker gets injured they just don't call them in anymore?Isn't it strange that in Japan Toyota workers have a union?

The problem with most unions is that the union is so interested in the money, that they are not really taking care of the workers.

I believe in a fair wage for a fair day's work. However, it seems that the unions are demanding such high wages and benefits that it makes the companies employing the workers unable to compete in the global market. My best friend worked for a unionized company and one of the major points in the last contract negotiation was that the company asked the workers to pay something towards their health insurance premiums. This caused a huge uproar and threats of strikes. (The workers were asked to pay about $5 a week. It was a very reasonable request compared to what most of us pay for health insurance but the union was insistent that its workers receive FREE health insurance courtesy of the company.)

In addition, the idea of seniority does not fit in with most companies anymore. The brightest workers are not going to be satisfied working in a job where you get promoted based on length of service with the company instead of merit.

In theory, unions are nice. In reality, they are outdated and hinder companies.

It is a shame that the workers believe the misleading info that Toyota feeds them on why they don't need a Union. Maybe the workers are afraid they will lose their jobs but they will anyhow w/o any Union to protect them.

They've managed to destroy our other automakers...Toyota is about the only decent American automaker left