International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
The York Daily Record reported that union workers at the Harley-Davidson Springettsbury Township operations got their first look at a proposed contract that if approved will stop the motor company from relocating the York Vehicle Operations to an alternative site in Kentucky.
You can read the detailed contract highlights HERE. Briefly, it’s a 58 page document that covers the next 7 years. H-D will commit to investing up to $90 million to restructure the operations and stop efforts to relocate to Kentucky. For those workers who lose their job as part of the restructuring there are a number of alternatives from lump-sum payout to volunteering for the reduction and receiving benefits if they lose their job. Workers received copies of the contract today at the Toyota Arena where members met. They will vote to ratify or turn down the deal on December 2nd. The company has until December 12th to approve.
Reading the “tea leaves,” I anticipate the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (District 98) will ratify the new contract. Do they have any other choice? The company has worked all angles during this down economy to their advantage and will obtain significant concessions from the workers who need a job.
UPDATE: December 3, 2009 — H-D announced the union ratified the 7 year labor agreement.
Photo courtesy of IAMAW
Your blogs of yesterday and today are right on target in regrard to just how serious a situation Harley is in. They sell one product, a very expensive motorcycle. In a deep resession the people who have $20,000 to $36,000 to spend on a “toy” are few and far between. Every dealer is fighting to keep the doors open and many are making it. Based on some of the business decisions they have made over the past two years it appears that they are just plain in panic mode and grasping at straws. I don’t know anyone who understood the purchase of a new line of bikes from Italy that was completly outside of their venue, the introduction of the trike with a cost of $32,000 to $36,000 in a failing market, or the logic of stopping Buel production just when the racing efforts of the past two years had resulted in a championship!
hmmm, i wonder what the future holds…
hey, mac, i hope that you and yours have a happy thanksgiving!! ride safe and enjoy my friend.
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