CAMBRIDGE (Ontario) – The Canadian Auto Workers will apply this week for a union vote at the Toyota plant in Cambridge. After working on an organizing campaign for more than 18 months, the union will file an application with the Ontario Labour Relations Board on Thursday or Friday, said Hemi Mitic, assistant to Buzz Hargrove, president of the auto workers union. The board will conduct a secret ballot vote in the plant if at least 40 per cent of the workers who would be part of the bargaining unit have signed union membership cards.

If the vote is held, the Canadian Auto Workers will become the employees’ bargaining agent if more than 50 per cent of the eligible workers vote in favour of the union. “We are hoping we are in a 40 per cent position, but we are not 100 per cent sure,” said Mitic. “They have done some hiring in the last little while so it is a bit unclear what the final number of employees is.” Toyota employs 2,700 people in Cambridge, including about 2,000 production workers.

After campaigning intensively for several months, it’s time for employees to decide whether or not they want to be represented by a union, said Mitic. “I think it is fair to say there are some people who would prefer to have no union and some who would prefer to have the union,” he said. “We are hoping everyone will support a democratic process which allows people to make a decision on whether they want to have the union. Let the majority decide.”

If the labour board conducts a vote, it likely will be held late next week or early the following week. The Canadian Auto Workers, Canada’s largest private-sector union with 245,000 members, has made several attempts to organize Toyota since the Fountain Street plant opened in 1988. The union says interest in joining the union has increased because of concerns about workload and uncertainty related to model changes.

Toyota, which provides wages and benefits on par with those Canadian Auto Workers members receive from other automakers, will begin production of the Matrix compact car next year and the Lexus RX300 sport utility vehicle in 2003. The plant currently makes the Corolla and the Solara.