Temporary Workers

Nissan’s decision to use a large number of “temps” from labor agencies instead of hiring its own workers directly is not a good way to do business in the long term. Regular workers (Nissan calls them “technicians”) and temps (Nissan calls temps “Nissan Associates”) work side-by-side, doing the same jobs. But the temps get less pay and fewer benefits. And most important, there is no sense of job security for temporary workers who have been loyal to Nissan for years.

Temporary workers are less able to plan for their families – for buying a home, saving for their children or planning retirement. Use of a temporary workforce doesn’t grow our communities and, it weakens the middle class.

Unfortunately, the use of temporary workers is becoming an increasingly important part of Nissan’s business model. According to workers at Nissan’s Canton plant, almost all the new jobs Nissan is creating in production – nearly 1,000 – are being filled by temps. Nissan should immediately acknowledge that these “temp” workers are actually the same as Nissan technicians, and they should give up their “temporary worker” model of employment.

One of the reasons Nissan employees want to have a union is to have a voice in the pattern of substituting temps for regular jobs. Workers want to sit down and negotiate with Nissan about “temporary” status for workers. If they cannot negotiate, they fear that the use of temps will continue to grow. This means less stability for people who work for Nissan and live in Mississippi.

Nissan can change its temporary worker practices and still be a successful company. Nissan’s production workers should be treated as real employees, not “temps.”