[GoLowDrew]

Long before Japanese car makers decided to build cars in the U.S. None of them were sure. Remember when UAW bashed a Toyota as a public display with hammers in the late 70s? There were a lot of anti-Japanese feeling about cars. So Toyota was careful and did not want to build a mega plant and hang those big red letters - to have wackos set it on fire.

The solution was NUMMI. It was a "joint venture" with GM, and as a new name. It's "NOT" Toyota or GM. It's NUMMI. An "American company" owned by Toyota, GM, etc, etc. It's not "Japanese."

Also, GM had given up on building small cars. They just needed Toyota's help in manufacturing, and those Just-In-Time processes that Dr. Demming (an American) taught the Japanese how to build cars. Notice how NUMMI is located near hwy 880, 101, and not far from hwy 5 and railroad tracks. Tacoma beds are (were) stamped in Long Beach and truck up hwy 5. Not sure if they still do that today.

Back to the question. Toyota did not know how the American labor unions work. So NUMMI was also a chance for Toyota to understand it. Again, both sides provided their expertise. GM had more experience with unions. During the "anti Japanese cars" phase, how can NUMMI choose not to be union.

I guess Toyotas conclusion was "No thanks" to unions for their own plants.