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Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Giant's Workers Approve Labor Contract
http://online.wsj.com/ ^ | September 13, 2010 | Associated Press

Posted on 09/13/2010 4:18:42 PM PDT by Biggirl

Harley-Davidson Inc.'s three Wisconsin unions approved a labor contract Monday laden with steep concessions, reacting defensively after the motorcycle company threatened to move hundreds of jobs out of the state.

The proposed deal freezes employees' pay, slashes hundreds of production jobs and assigns large volumes of work to part-time workers. But it also saves hundreds of other jobs, at least in the short-term.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; News/Current Events; US: Wisconsin
KEYWORDS: business; harleydavidson; union

1 posted on 09/13/2010 4:18:46 PM PDT by Biggirl
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To: Biggirl

I surprised these workers somehow came to understand the concept of self-preservation.


2 posted on 09/13/2010 4:21:21 PM PDT by umgud (Obama is a failed experiment.)
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To: umgud

Welcome to the O-conomy!


3 posted on 09/13/2010 4:23:13 PM PDT by Loud Mime (It's the CONSTITUTION! www.initialpoints.net)
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To: Biggirl

Smart people
No HELOC No Harley


4 posted on 09/13/2010 4:24:28 PM PDT by griswold3 ('Regulation and law without enforcement is no law at all)
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To: umgud

I’m sure they saw what happened at Mercury Marine up in Fon du Lac last year and realized that Harley wasn’t bluffing...


5 posted on 09/13/2010 4:25:12 PM PDT by stefanbatory (Insert witty tagline here)
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To: Biggirl

To get revenge, they will sabotage the production and the products

The attempt to live with the union will fail


6 posted on 09/13/2010 4:34:19 PM PDT by bert (K.E. N.P. N.C. +12 ..... Greetings Jacques. The revolution is coming)
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To: bert

Well, it’s not like Harley buyers are actually expecting a quality product *now*. Or at least, they shouldn’t be.

It’s all about the Harley lifestyle and not the motorcycle, donchaknow?


7 posted on 09/13/2010 4:35:54 PM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: Spktyr

LOL, exactly.


8 posted on 09/13/2010 4:40:35 PM PDT by stevio (Crunchy Con - God, guns, guts, and organically grown crunchy nuts.)
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To: Spktyr
...add to that the fact that many Harley owners are close to neverland and will leave many nice rides behind to compete with new sales.
9 posted on 09/13/2010 4:40:49 PM PDT by yesca ("..don't touch that)
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To: Spktyr

Harleys have been pretty decent these days. The AMF days have been gone for a long time.

Not to say I’d buy one - putting myself on two wheels with an engine would be akin to attempted suicide every time I pulled out of the driveway.

Anyway, these folks did the right thing. They see the writing on the wall. I suspect that even the union leadership knows that things aren’t looking good.


10 posted on 09/13/2010 4:42:36 PM PDT by meyer (She Is a Very Freaky Girl)
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To: Biggirl

I am amazed at how sanely the unions reacted. Just look at NJ and the NEA over there. Those greedy bastards won’t give an inch. It’s for the children dontcha know.
I’ll give the union a pat on the back for this one.


11 posted on 09/13/2010 5:23:08 PM PDT by vpintheak (Love of God, Family and Country has made me an extremist.)
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To: bert

They make crap bikes now and I am sure they will be worse thanks to the union.

Their demograph is elderly men or dopers who have bad eyesight or are habitually stoned or drunk. The riders today want to look like Lee Marvin in The Wild One but they look like Lee Marvin on his death bed. Most of the new senior riders end up like poor Bruce Rossmeyer - dead on the side of the raod.

Lee Marvin served in the US Marines and was wounded at Saipan.

I know of at least 3 local examples of older people killing themselves on unsafe Harleys. They usually get killed a week after buying their “bike” with a Harley wheat thresher engine made by Milwaukee union goon scum.

They never notice the sloppy engineering and bad welds. The engines are rougher than a 1928 tractor.


12 posted on 09/13/2010 5:24:26 PM PDT by Frantzie (Imam Ob*m* & Democrats support the VICTORY MOSQUE & TV supports Imam)
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To: griswold3
LOL! Hilarious and so damn true. Geriatrics buy Harleys with a HELOC's. Now Obama is going to kill Social Security and they will really be up a creek. Keep watching TV folks cause ALL of TV supports Obama and Islam.
13 posted on 09/13/2010 5:26:20 PM PDT by Frantzie (Imam Ob*m* & Democrats support the VICTORY MOSQUE & TV supports Imam)
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To: Biggirl
The deal freezes employees' pay, slashes hundreds of production jobs and assigns large volumes of work to part-time workers.

Lets see, every thing goes up except wages, many will be reduced to part time workers earning fast food wages.....

Boy these Harley employees will be a happy crew....

14 posted on 09/13/2010 5:33:28 PM PDT by dragnet2
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To: griswold3
My son is a real estate broker. He does lots of broker price opinions for banks. It is very common to arrive at a property to see a large motor home and trailers with dirt bikes. He is doing an evaluation ahead of a foreclosure. The fancy gear out front is their new home. It is the "full HELOC" package.

I have clear title to my house, my cars, my bikes (Yamaha, Kawasaki, Harley)...and no HELOC. Imagine that. I've put 15,000 miles on the Kawasaki and Harley bikes commuting to work over the last year. The Harley goes in for the 10K service on Sept 20th. I'm considering swapping the Harley out for the Roadliner (1600 miles on the odo) to level the wear on my 2 wheel transportation. The bikes are all fuel injected and get 47 to 53 MPG. Good at sea level in San Diego and cruising mountain roads in Idaho/Wyoming/Montana.

15 posted on 09/13/2010 5:36:31 PM PDT by Myrddin
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To: bert
To get revenge, they will sabotage the production and the products

If they do that, the show rooms will be empty and the factory shuttered. Harley owners are finicky about quality and style. Screw up and they leave the goods on the floor.

16 posted on 09/13/2010 5:38:43 PM PDT by Myrddin
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To: Frantzie
The Harley shops I visit are full of folks with wads of cash in their pockets. The "native American" casino employees/owners buy lots of product. Lots of doctors, lawyers and engineers prowling the showrooms as well. There certainly are cases of people who finance a bike. I paid off the outstanding loan of one of those folks to buy my Harley. The engine certainly runs rough compared to the finely balanced engines in my Kawasaki Versys and Yamaha Roadliner. Once it reaches 2800 RPM, it runs smooth. No problems rolling down the freeways in San Diego or Idaho. I make a practice of taking my bikes to the test range to ensure I can perform the full set of tests administered for the motorcycle endorsement. My Harley Roadster handled them just fine. Slightly less nimble than the Versys, but quicker handling than the Roadliner.
17 posted on 09/13/2010 5:50:01 PM PDT by Myrddin
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To: Frantzie

“Their demograph is elderly men or dopers who have bad eyesight or are habitually stoned or drunk.”

You ought to bag and sell that bullshit. You could make fortune in fertilizer.


18 posted on 09/13/2010 9:46:56 PM PDT by beelzepug ("Don't be a wise a**.")
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To: Frantzie
They make crap bikes now and I am sure they will be worse thanks to the union.

My Harley is the most reliable bike I've ever owned. Much better than my two Suzuki's and one of my three Hondas. It's not perfect, but neither are my Hondas.

Their demograph is elderly men or...

The average age of someone that buys a new Harley? 49 yo. That sounds old until you compare it to the average age of buyers of ALL brands: 47 yo according to JD Powers and 48 yo according to the AMA. The rest of your statement is emotional drivel.

I know of at least 3 local examples of older people killing themselves on unsafe Harleys. They usually get killed a week after buying their “bike” with a Harley wheat thresher engine made by Milwaukee union goon scum. They never notice the sloppy engineering and bad welds.

According to the Hurt Report: Vehicle failure accounted for less than 3% of these motorcycle accidents, and most of those were single vehicle accidents where control was lost due to a puncture flat.

It is improbable that all three your people died due to manufacturing defects on their Harley's. Most likely, it was inexperience. Also according to the Hurt Report: More than half of the accident-involved motorcycle riders had less than 5 months experience on the accident motorcycle

You seem prone to emotional rants. Try grounding yourself with facts and reason before posting.

19 posted on 09/14/2010 3:17:41 PM PDT by OA5599
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