Did Toyota Fall Victim To The Lure Of Money With The Tundra?

The lure is always money/profit. It's that way for Toyota and it is that way for everyone else. It was a good idea and the product is great. It's just bad timing. Kudos to Toyota for keeping so many of the workers on the payroll.

I agree w/ most except Toyota isn't choosing to keep the workers on payroll. They have a contract and Toyota must fulfill their end of that contract.

Its very similar to the Big 3s contracts w/ the UAW. The workers get paid because the contract says so, not because you are generous or benevolent.

I get what you're saying, but I don't see where it says anything about a contract. I see it more as avoiding bad PR than anything else. Getting rid of people might save them some money, but it may hurt their rep and hurt them in the long run. From the comments in the article, it looks like they can lay off the people if they wanted to.

"Mostly non-union Toyota is continuing the Japanese tradition of lifetime employment policies for permanent hires. Breaking with that practice could lead to consequences at other global Toyota facilities."

"If they laid off San Antonio workers for three months, that would be the shot heard 'round the world," says Jeffrey Liker, a University of Michigan professor whose The Toyota Way and other books on Toyota's production system have become business best sellers."

"If the training program for the San Antonio plant stoppage works, the result could be workers with higher skills and more loyalty, lowering the plant's costs in the future."

"It also is building a reservoir of local good will."

"If I were in Texas, I think any sane person would say, 'The market is awful, and this crazy company is actually keeping people employed,' " Liker says.

Actually I think Toyota, is of the opinion that there will be a need for the Tundra in the future (I do too).

So as a matter of doing the "right" thing they have held on to the work force during this tough time.

Now think of the effect this has when some talk of going union. There will be a lot of loyalty in the workforce due to what I consider a "brave" and honorable thing to do. Too many company are just concerned with the bottom line. Toyota is seems is also concerned with the rank and file.

"Kudos to Toyota for keeping so many of the workers on the payroll."

I hate to break it to you, but companies don't do things for the good of anyone but shareholders. Whatever reason they're still on the payroll, it's a business reason. Not to be nice.

"$133 million in public subsidies and donation of 2,500 acres of land"

You think they could lay off these people after reading the statement above? This is towards the end of the article.

Its the same old story, big corporations are in bed with the politicians. Give a small business a break? NEVER.. but Toyota, sure.

Toyota had bad timing on the Tundra, but if they can develop a hybrid-truck then it may work out in the end. Some very hard financial and technical lessons learned here, but it will make all Toyota cars better in the end. Their sales were flying high for years and now they have a sanity check.

The only reason Toyota kept those people on with them is so they wouldn't have to train new people when production resumes. But of course they spin it like they are helping out their workers.

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=127529

"The National Labor Committee on Wednesday issued a 65-page report, "The Toyota You Don't Know," which accuses the Japanese automaker of using "low-wage temps" to build the popular Toyota Prius. The report also alleged that Toyota has "ties to Burmese dictators" through the Toyota Tsusho Corporation. "Toyota's much admired 'Just in Time' auto parts supply chain is riddled with sweatshop abuse, including the trafficking of foreign guest workers, mostly from China and Vietnam to Japan, who are stripped of their passports and often forced to work — including at subcontract plants supplying Toyota — 16 hours a day, seven days a week, while being paid less than half the legal minimum wage," the group said in a statement."

I posted this because I think with even Toyota, it comes down to money. You can include PR in this category too.

Oh, I have owned Toyotas. But if this it true I will never buy another one.

How dare you post such filth about the greatest car company in the world?

The Tundra has multiple recalls on all kinds of issues. All you peeps that think Toyota can do no wrong. All the recalls on this truck are discusting!