Can Toyota Be Better Simply Because They Show Respect To The Work Force?

This link actually works.

http://www.arpa.nl/training/actueel/nieuws/berichten/18/

I didn't word that right. The article link didn't pop up, so there's an alternative address for the article.

They better show respect or else!

I don't thinks so. If anything, the American manufacturers have shown too much respect to their workers' unions. Remember that it is the promised production man-hours, garunteed health care and retirement benefits, and minimum salaries that makes American cars more expensive to build.

Unions were created in the early days because people were treated badly. People couldn't even take a bathroom break because the lines were non-stop. That's one of the reason that it's costing them now. My buddy used to work there and he said some of the janitors were getting paid more then him! He was an engineer!

The manufacturers treated the people badly in the beginning hence, the creation of the union. But it has gotten out of hand right now. The true meaning is nowhere to be seen when you know janitors make more than engineers and don't even work all hours.

I have a friend who was an executive at Toyota for many years before taking an early retirement to start his own business. He wants to go back! He really feels they have a special working environment there. This is something that is rare and I hope they can keep it up through all of their expansion.

I had to register to respond to this post. I worked for the financial arm of Toyota Motor Sales, USA for fourteen years. Perhaps it's just Toyota Financial Services and not the car side of the business, but this is a company that cannot handle their success.

They treat their employees like dirt and it has been getting worse every year for the last eight or nine years. Lower level employees are treated like children such as timing how long they're in the bathroom (sometimes even told when they can go) and they even have to bring in a note from their doctor if they take PLANNED time off for a doctor appointment.

Personally, I was ridiculed by management for being a Democrat. But, the worst thing is how African Americans are treated. The behavior of an employee was once explained to me by a top level manager by saying "well, he's dark, you know. But they have another in that department that's pretty sharp." I've also heard of blacks being described as "202s" which is the color code for Toyotas that are painted black.

Ten years ago, on Toyota's 40th anniversay in America, we received an extra week's pay. This year, on the 50th anniversary, we got a hideous Tiffany box and an extra day of vacation despite the company being far more profitable today than they were ten years ago.

Their reputation in our community has declined to the point where they're having trouble recruiting new employees. I have been lucky enough to be able to move on to work for a company that still has at least a modicum of respect for their employees.

I hate to say it, but I hope there is a backlash against Toyota for the way they treat their employees. Something has to change there.

early on (and still?) in the process of The Toyota Way of building cars, ANY line worker could stop the line to ensure a part was properly installed.

on detroit lines, ONLY supervisors had that authority.

this confidence toyota had on the ordinary workers' judgement and ability was part of the KEY to their building exceptionally reliable cars, across the line and regardless of price.