Worker: 'Toyota Way' Ignored at Factory
By YURI KAGEYAMA, AP
Posted: 2008-01-08 16:35:13

TOKYO (AP) - The California auto worker who is suing Toyota and others in a whistleblower lawsuit said Tuesday she was merely carrying out the quality-conscious "Toyota way" in spotting defects when managers cracked down on her efforts and demoted her.

Katy Cameron, 54, employed for 23 years at New United Motor Manufacturing Inc., a joint venture between Toyota Motor Corp. and General Motors Corp. in Fremont, Calif., is suing the companies in a lawsuit, filed Nov. 6 in Alameda County Superior Court.

The lawsuit accuses management at NUMMI of routinely deleting or downgrading defects that Cameron found as a certified auditor - including broken seat belts, faulty headlights, inadequate braking and steering wheel alignment problems - and demands $45 million in damages for retaliation against a whistleblower and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

"I believed in the Toyota way. I really did. I just wanted to know why they turned their head on me," Cameron said from California in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "Why did they look the other way when I cried out for help?"

Cameron said she was trained in Toyota's corporate philosophy, which emphasizes the importance of the workers on the assembly line not only in making manufacturing more efficient but also pointing out defects and other problems. She was so good she trained other auditors, she says.

But about five years ago, the management at NUMMI seemed to shift its emphasis to quantity over quality, eager to reduce defect numbers, which determined their bonus pay, said Cameron.

And Toyota's vaunted quality-check system seemed to get neglected, she said.

Cameron said she went to court only after she tried to alert higher-ups to what she saw as serious wrongdoing, including her bosses, as well as the top executive at NUMMI, handing him a letter and other reports in writing in 2006.

She also sent reports in writing to Toyota executives, including one to President Katsuaki Watanabe but has received no response so far, she said.

The companies are declining comment on the lawsuit, saying the case is pending. But NUMMI spokesman Lance Tomasu said in a statement last week that quality is a priority and said the claims will be investigated thoroughly.

Toyota Executive Vice President Kazuo Okamoto, who oversees technology, acknowledged he was aware of the lawsuit but said Monday he did not know details.

Toyota has built its global empire riding on its reputation for reliable vehicles. Toyota executives have repeatedly said they are worried about quality standards slipping as the automaker steps up worldwide expansion.

Toyota's products, such as the Camry and Corolla, are so popular some analysts say the company is on track to beat GM as the world's biggest automaker by sales this year. But the number of recalls has ballooned with the surge in vehicle sales.

"It was Katy's passion to be the eye of the consumer," said Cameron's attorney Kelly Armstrong in San Francisco. "This is a $45 million message to NUMMI, Toyota and General Motors that they can no longer emphasize quantity over quality at the expense of hardworking Americans and consumers."

Cameron, who has been on medical leave from stress the lawsuit says is caused by persistent on-the-job harassment, returned to work Tuesday. But she has been assigned to putting auto parts in boxes, and is no longer allowed to inspect vehicles. Her bosses have repeatedly threatened to fire her, according to the lawsuit.

Cameron said NUMMI management blocked her attempts to relay quality problems to Toyota in Japan by preventing her from using the company phone and fax and taking away her in-company Internet privileges.

She expressed admiration for the Toyota work ethic, praising the corporate culture as "awesome." There is nothing Cameron wants more than to have her job back checking for defects, she says.

"I was trying to do my job. It was my job. And now here I am: I am punished for doing my job," she said. "I felt really betrayed. And I felt used because I worked hard. I worked very hard."

Is that the Matrix/corola/vibe plant??

It will be very interesting to see if she gets promoted and lauded or treated like a ho given the recent tour for quality Toyota has been putting on. good article. thanks.

You know with all the quality issues lately, ie. some of the posts here regarding parts, "Missing bolts" etc., I tend to believe her. Yesterday I got a response from Toyota warranty regarding the rattle in the roof TSB, "Corporate says that if the sunroof is working just fine, there is no need for the fix."
WTF....

I hope she has a good attorney.

woman vs. toyota

This sounds like Nissan all over again. Build a solid reputation for reliability, then let your whole company go to crap in order to please stockholders and cut the bottom line.

I say good for her for speaking up. Hopefully the folks at corporate realize there is a problem and step it up.

Just another sign of Toyota slipping.

Good article .

I'm sure she will have a few good atty's , since the poor woman only wants 45 MM for stress, they will all be jumping at the chance to make $$$ and a name. Be interesting to know the whole story.

Too bad the quality is slipping , but thats what happens when you grow so fast , needless to say with a joint venture with GM.

Sucks that this is happening with Toyota or NUMMI or GM , who ever it involves.

How unfortunate for a once great company to fall victim to corporate greed and the "American Way". Has anyone else felt that this decline in quality carried over to their customer service as well?

By reading what is on the internet I would think that there is a lot more to this story then Katy Cameron is telling. The facts will be told. I will save my opinion until I hear BOTH sides of the story. Its funny how quickly some people are willing to throw Toyota under the bus without getting all the facts!

Koz

I agree with that, Koz.
Also, wtf is up with $45 million? Awful lot of money for "emotional distress."
That is a rediculous amount of money. Just for asking for that much, I hope she does not collect it (whether she is right or not). Jeez, let's stick to a few million and not 45.
Good God to people like to sue in America.

Definitely need to hear more about this. In the article it says that efforts to inform Toyota Japan were blocked by the management at NUMMI so at least Toyota Japan isnt to blame but the joint venture in California can be held responsible. In my opinion the management at NUMMI is the problem and not neccesarily Toyota, obviously now Toyota is going to have to monitor their business in America more closely to ensure quality over quantity.

45 Million is alot of money and I agree with you, thats a rediculous amount but shes trying to make a point and if it was a small amount her case wouldnt get much recognition. I just hope the focus is taken off of Toyota and geared more towards her management.

There is always 3 sides to every story ,........

1. HERS
2. NUMMI'S
3. THE TRUTH

Don't know why this is happening to Toyota , but with growth there are issue from time to time , the fact that Toyota is in the spot light for being the largest auto mfg. ( or fast becoming it ) in the world , THEY ARE A TARGET !!!

Every company has quality issues , go to any brand of car dealership and they will all brag about how steller the quality is of there own product. Even Land Rover does it and well......... you get the picture.

One thing I will agree with that someone mentioned is "the american way" sad but true , in Japan there is a totally different way of thing then here. It honestly makes me not want to but a 5th gen. because it's made in america , but will give the benefit of the doubt .

Like I said along with a few others , it will be interesting when all the facts come out.

She must have been doing a good job to have survived in the company for 23 years. There is probably more to the story but the timing is interesting when you consider Toyota's recent quality issues.

Fight Club:

"which car company did you say you work for?"

"a MAJOR one"

hmmm