United Auto Workers (UAW) Plans "Suicide Bombing" of Economy?

On a day that Toyota has announced plans for a possible shutdown in the US because of supply problems in Japan, the United Auto Workers said that they are on the verge of the "largest boycott in the history of the global economy," according to the Michigan's Royal Oak Daily Tribune. The UAW is organizing the boycott to protest the refusal of transnational automakers to unionize employees in the US.

The head of the union, Bob King, has admitted that declining union membership rolls means that if the UAW doesn't "organize these transnationals, I don't think there's a long-term future for the UAW — I really don't."

He's given foreign automakers including BMW, Volkswagen AG, Toyota and Nissan an offer they can't refuse: Unionize their workers or else he'll single out one automaker and put the screws to them with a boycott. Never mind that the boycott will hurt workers, consumers and the economy.

“This will be the biggest campaign ever undertaken. It will involve hundreds of dealerships,” said Dennis Williams, UAW Secretary Treasurer, adding the union will ask for help from its retirees, community groups and other unions to help with the campaign, says the Tribune.

“We will do whatever it takes,” said Williams.

Toyota alone has about 25,000 workers in the US. During supply shutdowns Toyota has a policy in place to to continue to pay workers. (read more)