Teamsters general president James P. Hoffa and United Auto Workers (UAW) vice president Bob King, representing UAW president Ron Gettelfinger and UAW vice president Jimmy Settles, will lead a delegation of labor representatives, environmental advocates and consumer protection advocates in a protest outside the Embassy of Japan in Washington on January 28 at 11:15 a.m.
The delegation will also deliver a letter from Settles and Hoffa to Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama. In the letter, which will be made available on January 28, the union representatives will express concern that Toyota's plan to abandon workers and communities will impact America's perception of Japan, and calls on the Japanese government to meet with them and with Toyota management.
After receiving millions in the taxpayer-funded Cash for Clunkers bailout, Toyota plans to close its New United Motors Manufacturing Inc. (NUMMI) assembly plant in Fremont, Calif., which will mean a loss of 5,400 direct jobs and up to 50,000 jobs at suppliers and other supporting businesses. This would be the biggest factory layoff in California since the beginning of the recession. Toyota is also endangering 5,000 middle-class jobs in the carhaul industry.
Environmental advocates at the event will express their disappointment that Toyota, a company that markets itself as a leader in emissions reduction, will greatly expand its carbon footprint by shipping vehicles once made at NUMMI back to the U.S. from Japanese plants.
Toyota's management decisions come at a time of much concern about the company, which had more recalls than any other auto maker in 2009 and has just halted production and sales of eight models until its spontaneous acceleration problem is resolved.