Archive for January, 2009

UAW Boss Claims F150 Built Faster Than Tundra – WRONG

UAW boss Ron Gettelfinger, in an op-ed piece for the Detroit News, recently made claims that union workers are faster than non-union workers. While we certainly can’t speak to that fact (nor would we make such a grand generalization about workers), it’s pretty clear to us that the following piece of information is completely, 100%, incorrect. Laughably so:

according to 2008 Harbour data, it takes UAW members in Kansas City just over 19 hours to assemble a Ford F-series pick-up. It takes more than 32 hours to assemble the Toyota Tundra, a similar vehicle, at a non-union plant in Princeton, Indiana

Gettelfinger used this little piece of fiction to help demonstrate a point that’s very important to the UAW – the union has given enough in terms of wage and benefit cuts. They don’t think they should have to give anymore.

Fair enough. Far be it for TundraHeadquarters.com to argue with Ron Gettelfinger about the sacrifices of the UAW.

However, when it comes to the “fact” that the F150 can be assembled in K.C. in about half the time a Tundra can be built in Princeton, Indiana, we have some facts of our own:

It Won’t Be Long Before All Cars Contain Green Plastics

Toyota Motor Company announced they will begin producing a hybrid vehicle using carbon neutral plastics for its interior. Expected to launch next year, the green plastics are either completely plant derived or derived from both plants and petroleum.

Do you think the Tundra would improve in popularity if it also contained a carbon neutral dashboard?

Although Toyota is starting with the new hybrid next year, the company says it won’t be long before they incorporate the environmentally-friendly plastic into other models as well.

To be “carbon neutral” means that