During Mazda’s now defunct alliance with Ford Motor Co., Aihara worked in human relations at their jointly operated AutoAlliance International plant in Flat Rock, which Mazda exited in 2012.
Negotiations with the UAW there, Aihara recalls, were often thorny.
“I’m very happy that we can operate without the UAW,” Aihara said of the new setup in Alabama.
Aihara, a 38-year Mazda veteran who also worked with Ford in China, oversees both the Mazda and Toyota sides of the factory.
This time, Mazda is dedicated to U.S. manufacturing for the long haul, he pledged.
“When we have the union, it’s a kind of third party,” Aihara said. “But we rather want to have a direct communication or direct contact between team members and the company.”
Mazda has learned several labor management skills from Toyota Motor Corp., the world’s biggest automaker and Mazda’s second-biggest shareholder, with a 5.1 percent stake. Among them: how to listen to plant workers in a less confrontational way.
At Flat Rock, issues were handled through a labor relations office. But in Toyota’s world — as practiced in Huntsville — the partners meet with workers through a “team member relationship” department. Part of the process is soliciting feedback about any worker gripes or concerns on a daily basis.
“We can improve our operation quickly and respond to our team members’ requests quickly,” said Aihara, who is fluent in English. “We want to foster that kind of culture.”
The Alabama venture has capacity to build 300,000 vehicles — half for Toyota, half for Mazda. Mazda’s new CX-50 compact crossover entered production in January. Toyota began making its Corolla Cross subcompact crossover there last fall.