Why do you think Toyota moved its only US unionized plant in California to Mississippi?

[NNN0LHI]

And then turned its employees pensions in California over to the Benefit Guarantee Corporation so US taxpayers were then responsible for paying those workers pensions.

Any idea why Toyota did that?

Don

[WCGreen]

1. Ahhh, let's see, to avoid having to deal with Unions would be my guess....

[bluedigger]

2. Magnolias?

[rurallib]

3. gee, Toyota exploits US laws just like they were American

busting unions is an international game.

[RKP5637]

7. Yep, they're all the same, exploitation knows no boundaries, doesn't matter

which country which company, they all (for the most part) exploit others. Life has always been a game of exploitation IMO, but now more than ever, the exploitation is highly organized.

[FarCenter]

4. It was a General Motors plant; after GM pulled out of the NUMMI joint venture, Toyota also left.

NUMMI was established at the site of a former General Motors Fremont Assembly site that had been closed two years earlier in 1982 (GM plant since 1960). GM and Toyota reopened the factory as a joint venture in 1984 to manufacture vehicles to be sold under both brands.[2] GM pulled out of the venture in June 2009, and several months later Toyota announced plans to pull out by March 2010.[3][4] The closure was opposed by city officials, including Fremont Mayor Bob Wasserman, who lobbied to keep NUMMI in the city.[5] However, at 9.40am on April 1, 2010, the plant produced its last car, a red Toyota Corolla S believed to be destined for a museum in Japan.[citation needed] Production of Corollas in North America moved to Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada's assembly plant in Cambridge, Ontario.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NUMMI

[antigop]

5. PBGC is not funded by general tax revenues

Per the PBGC.GOV website:
http://www.pbgc.gov/res/factsheets/page/pbgc-facts.html

PBGC is not funded by general tax revenues. PBGC collects insurance premiums from employers that sponsor insured pension plans, earns money from investments, and receives funds from pension plans it takes over.

[hack89]

6. Doesn't GM bear half the responsibility?

after all NUMMI was a joint venture.

Toyota ponied up #250 million to buyout employees - GM not a dime.

GM ran and left Toyota holding the bag.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/business&id=7308820

[hay rick]

8. The plant (NUMMI) was a joint venture with GM.

GM pulled out during its bankruptcy reorganization and Toyota decided to close down the plant rather than run it alone. I read that the Corolla production was moved to Ontario and Tacoma production was moved to Texas.

Presumably the parent companies were not liable for the underfunded pension plans so PBGC ended up on the hook for the unfunded difference.

[HopeHoops]

9. I think that's a "WELL DUH!" moment.