Teamsters Protest BMW Greed at Dealers in Western States

BMW plans to outsource jobs after taking bailout loans and making record profits

ONTARIO, Calif., July 12, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hundreds of Teamster members and their families protested against BMW's greed outside BMW dealerships in California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado and Arizona this weekend. Despite making record profits and receiving bailout loans, the German automobile giant plans to outsource jobs and layoff nearly 100 American employees.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100127/IBTLOGO)

The protesters distributed leaflets and held banners that read "BMW: The Ultimate Misery" to inform BMW customers about BMW's plan to fire almost all its Ontario employees later this summer and immediately re-open the facility the very next day with a cheaper, inexperienced work force.

Teamsters Local 495 represents 65 workers at the Ontario parts distribution facility.

"Taxpayers gave billions of dollars in bailout money to auto companies in order to grow the economy and save American jobs, but BMW is doing just the opposite," said Randy Cammack, International Vice President and President of Teamsters Joint Council 42. "BMW got bailed out with nearly $4 billion in top-secret low-interest federal loans and in exchange, they are mocking America's plant closing laws and destroying working families."

BMW workers and their families also protested outside the L.A. Dodgers-Anaheim Angels baseball games earlier this month, distributing leaflets to fans that read "BMW Wants L.A. to Lose [Good Jobs]". An aerial banner flown over the stadium also read "BMW Wants L.A. to Lose."

"BMW would never be allowed to get away with this in Germany," said Bob Lennox, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 495. "Many of these employees have worked there for 10, 20, 30 years. They think they can take an American taxpayer bailout and then treat their American workers in a way they would never dare to treat their German employees."

U.S. Congressional leaders have criticized BMW for this move against its American workers. The Los Angeles Times recently blasted BMW's move, accusing it of "eviscerating the middle class."

BMW is America's most popular automaker for luxury-class autos and saw the highest earnings ever in its 95-year history last quarter. BMW had global sales of almost $81 billion in 2010, or about $848,000 per employee, ranking it number 82 on Fortune's Global 500 Companies. BMW also received over $3.6 billion in secret low-interest loans during the 2008-2009 U.S. taxpayer bailout.

SOURCE Teamsters Local 495