Labor, Environmental and Consumer Activists Call Toyota “A Danger To America” at Japanese Embassy
Leaders from the Teamsters, the United Auto Workers (UAW), Friends of the Earth, Safety Research & Strategies and Jobs with Justice rallied at the Japanese Embassy asking Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama to hold Toyota accountable for threatening public safety, the environment, and American jobs.
Pictures from the protest are below.
Auto safety advocate Sean Kane, president and founder of Safety Research & Strategies, speaking at the rally charged Toyota with neglecting to act on known defects.
“The now well-publicized sudden acceleration problem with some Toyota and Lexus vehicles has actually been festering for a number of years, but Toyota neglected the issue. It’s pretty clear that there are a multitude of defects contributing to these unintended accelerating incidents that, unfortunately, have resulted in deaths and injuries.”
Rally speakers accused Toyota of betraying their workers and the consumers who have built them into a hugely profitable corporation. These speakers cited Toyota's plan to close their production facility in California, which will mean a loss of up to 50,000 jobs at the factory and other supporting businesses. Toyota is also endangering 5,000 middle class jobs in the auto transport industry.
Teamster General President James P. Hoffa spoke at the embassy declaring, “Toyota promised to support American communities; they’re instead threatening the very types of good jobs that our communities need in this time of economic crisis.”
UAW Vice President Bob King told the crowd that California led the nation in “Cash for Clunkers” sales in 2009, and that Toyota sold more cars under this program than any other auto maker.
King said, “It’s outrageous that Toyota is turning its back on American workers and American taxpayers by closing the plant in the state where they sell the most cars in the U.S., shipping these jobs to Japan, and then importing the cars back to the United States for sale.”
Dr. Brent Blackwelder, President Emeritus of Friends of the Earth US said, "Toyota's plant closure plan in California will dramatically increase shipping miles to California for its new vehicles and is inconsistent with a worldwide effort to reduce carbon footprints."
A delegation delivered a letter from UAW Vice President Jimmy Settles and Hoffa to Prime Minister of Japan Yukio Hatoyama following the speaking program. In the letter, the leaders of UAW and the Teamsters expressed concern that Toyota’s plan to abandon workers and communities could provoke American political leaders to review trade agreements with Japan.
