NUMMI Mum on Settlement Deal
Monday, Mar 15, 2010 | Updated 2:45 PM PST
NBCBayArea.com
Closing NUMMI
The management of New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. and United Auto Workers said Monday that they've reached a tentative shutdown agreement for the 4,500 union workers at the auto plant, which is slated to close April 1.
United Auto Workers Vice President Jimmy Settles said in a statement, "We believe this agreement will help the membership as they transition to other work."
However, Settles said, "We are deeply disappointed that Toyota has decided to close this award-winning facility and leave the workers and people of California stranded."
The union and management said the details of the tentative agreement are being withheld pending a ratification vote by the union's membership.
Informational meetings and voting dates haven't yet been scheduled, according to the union.
NUMMI was a 25-year-old joint venture between General Motors and Toyota, but GM announced in June that it would withdraw from the partnership and Toyota announced in August that it wouldn't order any more vehicles from the plant after the end of March.
On March 3, Toyota announced that it has committed $250 million to NUMMI to fund transition support for salaried and hourly workers who stay on the job through April 1.
According to NUMMI, the plant has nearly 900 salaried employees in addition to the approximately 4,500 union workers there.
Copyright Bay City News
Posted Monday, Mar 15, 2010 - 2:24 PM PST
