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Toyota has used its obsession with quality and efficiency to turn itself into the world’s leading automaker. Although Toyota has production and sales operations around the world, its success has been based to a great degree on the United States, where it has built a series of heavily subsidized plants and has taken advantage of the weakened condition of Detroit’s Big Three to build its market share. Aside from a long-standing (but now defunct) joint venture with General Motors, Toyota has kept its U.S. operations non-union.

After suffering a downturn in fortune that nearly caused it to be absorbed by General Motors, Fiat is riding high again. The company has taken control of struggling U.S. automaker Chrysler, and is seeking additional partners as part of a quest to become a “supergroup” that stands a chance of surviving the brutal competition in the auto industry—a quest that includes taking a hard line with unions at home and abroad.

Chevron is the world's fifth largest global energy company and engages in oil exploration and production; refining, marketing and transport; chemicals manufacturing and sales; and power generation. The company is currently embroiled in major lawsuits for the contamination of Ecuador (Aguinda v. Chevron) and alleged crimes in Nigeria (Bowoto v. Chevron).

From Coop America: General Motors, headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, is the leading car and truck maker under brands such as Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Pontiac, Saab, and Saturn. In addition, the company produces communications and commercial transportation products. The company has 335,000 employees and reported $192.6 billion in revenues in 2005.

Novartis is a Swiss biotechnology, drug, and consumer products company with a U.S. division. It was formed in 1996 by the merger of Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz. Over-the-counter brands include Ex-Lax, Lamisil antifunal agent, Maalox antacid, Nicotinell smoking cessation, Otrivin nasal decongestant, Theraflu for cold and flu, Triaminic for child cough, Bufferin and Excedrin asprin, and No-Doz caffeine. Pharmaceutical brands include Diovan and Lotrel for hypertension and Glivec for Leukemia. The CIBA division makes contact lenses.