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UAW Members Stand Tall
Subject: UAW MEMBERS - STAND TALL STAND PROUD
"IF YOUR NOT OUTRAGED
YOUR NOT PAYING ATTENTION"
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER - POWER IS DATA
A VERY GOOD FRIEND SENT THIS TO ME TODAY AS MY BIRTHDAY PRESENT AND TOLD ME TO USE IT AS I SEE FIT !
I HOPE ALL OF YOU WILL SHARE IT WITH THE SAME PASSION AS IT WAS WRITTEN......
UAW MEMBERS - STAND TALL STAND PROUD
The Great Toyota Quality Myth
The two worst headlines in the last twelve months for America:
8/06: Toyota passes Ford to the #2 sales ranking in the U.S.
4/07: Toyota passes GM to the #1 sales ranking in the U.S.
And why have Americans flocked to Toyota dealerships? It is because Americans perceive Toyota to be the highest quality vehicle brand sold in the United States--yet that is far from the truth.
Toyota has recalled 9.3 million vehicles in the last three years--nearly four times the number of recalls in the 3-year period prior to 2004.
Here are some of the recalls during 2006 and 2007 for Toyota:
Camry, 11/05--Incorrect safety labeling
Matrix, 3/06--Headlights
Camry, 4/06--Air bag defect
Avalon, 4/06--Air Bag defect
Tacoma, 4/06--Air bag defect
Prius, 5/06--Steering, Electrical Power Assist System
FJ Cruiser, 6/06--Tires, bulge in sidewalls
Corolla, 7/06--Exterior Lighting
Tundra, 3/07--Brakes, Master Cylinder
Sequoia, 4/07--Brakes, Master Cylinder
Each of these recalls say "could possibly result in a vehicle crash". Makes you think, huh?
The current recall of the Tundra trucks and Sequoia SUV's is similar to the same defect that recalled 800,000 of the same Toyota vehicles in 2005. Whose minding the QC store at Toyota?
Yet the Detroit News and Free Press slam Ford and GM with front page headlines with any recall we experience, and hide Toyota recalls on page 24C, inside column by the fold, at the bottom of the page. Pay attention to that and ask yourselves why our major Detroit newspapers seem to gleefully report, or rather enhance, any issues the American auto industry is having while downplaying massive recalls by Toyota. Is is because they never forget that they broke their newspaper unions in the 90's and they are determined to break the UAW now?
And I don't excuse Ford Motor Company for bad decisions over the last several years. What made Ford drop the Q1 advertising that was so successful? Every time I saw a guy on the line telling America he was proud of what he was building, I felt that same pride in being an American and a UAW member. I was proud I worked for Ford. The only press the working guy gets now are slams for belonging to a union, which is so wrong. Unions built the middle class strength of our great USA.
I am also proud that UAW members drive the cars they build. Go down to Dearborn and see what's parked in Ford's salaried parking lots--Japanese and Korean models abound. It's a sight that makes you wonder why a salary person can't support the company that provides the paycheck. Even CEO Mulally came to Ford driving a Lexus, supposedly the finest car ever made, when in reality it is only the finest marketing success ever, being originally dumped in the American market at $38,500 a copy, and not available in Japan, thereby skirting World Trade Organization rules with respect to product dumping.
When was the last time you saw a Lincoln ad versus how many times you have seen Lexus ads? Lincoln used to be Ford Motor's premier car until is got side tracked by Ford pushing its Jaguar and Volvo models, both financial losers. End result--the Milan Plant had its throat cut and we lost a giant chunk of the luxury car market. GM has the right idea, they have been pushing their Cadillac for months. GM's 2006 Cadillac sales totaled 227,014 to Lincoln sales of 120,476--yet Lexus sales totalled 322,434, close to the combined total of both Lincoln and Cadillac. Lexus ads abound, surpassing even the great GM luxury marketing push, and it shows in the numbers.
So what can we do as UAW members? First, continue to take great pride in the products we produce by building to the highest quality standards. Second, continue to buy the cars we build, maybe someday the non-UAW members will get it. Finally, talk up our company. Remember those Toyota statistics and quote them back when you hear some fool talking about the great Toyota quality myth.
Buy American, buy Union.
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