American Axle Supplies Toyota Amid Strike, Union Says (Update1)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=auHpApugp7wc&refer=japan

By Alex Ortolani

April 2 (Bloomberg) -- American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc., embroiled in a five-week strike that has idled U.S. plants, is still making auto parts for a supplier to Toyota Motor Corp., union officials said.

Supervisors at American Axle are assembling axle shafts for Hino Motors Ltd., said Mike Bussell, shop chairman of United Auto Workers Local 262, which represents forge-plant employees near the company's Detroit headquarters. The parts go into the Toyota Tundra pickup, Bussell said. Toyota owns 50 percent of Hino.

American Axle is serving Toyota from its strike-crimped operations while the walkout shuts or partially closes 30 factories at former parent General Motors Corp. Toyota, the world's second-largest automaker behind GM, has been gaining U.S. market share at its Detroit rival's expense for decades.

``They don't want to destroy any long-term relationship with Toyota,'' said James Gillette, an analyst at CSM Worldwide Inc. in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

American Axle has ``salaried associates'' working in factories to help ``maintain our customers,'' spokeswoman Renee Rogers said, declining to elaborate. The supplier names Hino as one of its customers in U.S. filings.

Local 262's Bussell said trucks carrying Hino parts have rolled past picketing workers.

FULL story at link.

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