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[CBW]

http://www.whptv.com/news/local/story/Harley-They-wont-be-making-them-like-they-used-to/oF0nDHgMY06MbOTKxiUDxg.cspx?rss=50

[grc]

So much for all those concessions the worker's and union made a short time ago. 


Jerry

[SBB]

Not to bring up a bad subject but I'd hate to buy a bike assembled this week in York.

 

SBB

[RayG]

By cutting jobs it may temporarily improve HD's financial situation but in the long run it will be difficult for workers to get excited about building a better product. Any lay off unless it's upper management will cause motivational issues and moral to drop across the field of workers. If the quality suffers anymore it will open the doors even wider for long time HD owners to consider looking elsewhere for there next purchase.  I for one sincerely hope they find a way to improve the quality of their product and while there at it they can send the dealers and their work force to an attitude adjustment course. I went to a number of dealerships in the last few months and their arrogance was the worse I have ever seen. Don't they get it!

Ray G.

[Chains]

Looks like the work force has been cut in half, what a shame.  I had to do that in the company I run two years ago (automotive stamping facility), but I also thinned out management to the point they are almost non existent.  If HD cannot get the morale of the workers corrected they will not ever build a quality product.  I would like to see their management get on the floor, work side by side with the people and see what is causing the issues.  could be some simple fixes, maybe not, the only way to know for sure is to get in there and get on the factory floor side by side with the people.

[Keats]

Those concessions were made so at least there is 800 - 900 still working.

No concessions made would have ended with 0 jobs.

These are not good times, but this has happened before now........

I would expect quality to not change for now..........remember it is the still employed that will be making them.

not the newly unemployed..........

this was not totally a surprise..........

bike sales way down and plant (old) being torn down and retooling for new line over the next year......

[napalm]

When they finish consolidating the two plants, there will be only 800 - 900 full time emplyees on the assembly line.  That's what they told us during the tour in June.

napalm

[KaseyKahnefan]

These, for sure are hard times. I agree with Chains...The management needs to get closer to their employee's and what it's all about. At least (for now) Harley is keeping it's manufacturing in the USA and resisting what so many others have done. Being USA/Union made is the reason I didn't even look at any other brand. It is so hard to buy American anything anymore. Harley is modernizing it's plant and that alone will unemploy a certain number of workers. But they still build a great product and pay a living wage here in the good Ole USA! Hopefully Harley will be able to re-hire some of these workers sometime soon! Maybe cut a few Mil from their management budget and put it toward hiring a few more workers.

Pretty Soon their won't be anything special about the CVO brand...There will only be a few workers left to hand assemble the few bikes being ordered. They won't be able to fire up the fancy new assembly line because there wont be enough orders to justify it.
 

[Racerdj]

I feel for the laid off workers.

[Joelgonia]

Chains & Keats got it right -- Mgmt and employees need to understand each other:  employees need to understand the difficulties in this economy and options for maintaining a healthy bottom line; while mgmt needs to recognize mfg floor conditions and pressures of the wage earners actually assembling the bikes.  Plus, $$ has to be set aside for growth in technology to allow for increase quality.  All this while bike sales are down world wide, not just here in the US.  I, like many of you, have always wanted a Harley 'cause its one of the original American brands, and mostly still made in America.  I would pay more (LISTEN TO THIS HD) if I knew ALL the parts were made and assembled here in the US !!!  Most of us loyal to the HD brand want to buy American -- We're already paying more than maybe we should, does a little bit more really matter??  Show me where you ordered parts and subassemblies from US companies employing US citizens.  Build and sell me an American product through and through. Use what few textile companies left here to mfg and print the apparel lines -- I'll pay the extra 15% to keep it here!!!  And give me a Dealership network that understands customer service and doesn't try to rip me off.  Think about it...

[Hotrod50]

Chains & Keats got it right -- Mgmt and employees need to understand each other:  employees need to understand the difficulties in this economy and options for maintaining a healthy bottom line; while mgmt needs to recognize mfg floor conditions and pressures of the wage earners actually assembling the bikes.  Plus, $$ has to be set aside for growth in technology to allow for increase quality.  All this while bike sales are down world wide, not just here in the US.  I, like many of you, have always wanted a Harley 'cause its one of the original American brands, and mostly still made in America.  I would pay more (LISTEN TO THIS HD) if I knew ALL the parts were made and assembled here in the US !!!  Most of us loyal to the HD brand want to buy American -- We're already paying more than maybe we should, does a little bit more really matter??  Show me where you ordered parts and subassemblies from US companies employing US citizens.  Build and sell me an American product through and through. Use what few textile companies left here to mfg and print the apparel lines -- I'll pay the extra 15% to keep it here!!!  And give me a Dealership network that understands customer service and doesn't try to rip me off.  Think about it...

You're dreaming if you think it would only add 15% if a Harley was all American made.

[RedDevil]

You're dreaming if you think it would only add 15% if a Harley was all American made.

Agree, you would probably be more in the the 30% range.  Everywhere you look, an American-made product is going to cost you around 30% or more than an out-sourced equivalent.  It may not be the same quality as it's American-made counter part, but it's cheaper, and that's what sells.  American manufacturers cannot compete with those companies that have out sourced to China, simply because of ridiculously low labor rates.  Even the Japanese are out sourcing for the same reasons.  Every manufacturer that wants to compete and stay in business has to out source now or they won't be able to keep up with those that have.  Even the mighty MoCo will end up out sourcing more and more parts to Asia.  They may still do most of the assemblage in the U.S., but the majority of the parts will be imported.  With the restructuring they're doing now, the closing of factories and downsizing those that remain open, they will have to ouy source to survive.  JMO.   Do I like it? Not one bit.  I'd rather purchase American made myself. But take my laptop for instance.  Instead of my Chinese manufactured laptop costing me $799, it would have probably cost me closer to $2000 for an equivalent American-made one.  I'm just sayin'.

[sadunbar]

Agree, you would probably be more in the the 30% range.  Everywhere you look, an American-made product is going to cost you around 30% or more than an out-sourced equivalent.  It may not be the same quality as it's American-made counter part, but it's cheaper, and that's what sells.  American manufacturers cannot compete with those companies that have out sourced to China, simply because of ridiculously low labor rates.  Even the Japanese are out sourcing for the same reasons.  Every manufacturer that wants to compete and stay in business has to out source now or they won't be able to keep up with those that have.  Even the mighty MoCo will end up out sourcing more and more parts to Asia.  They may still do most of the assemblage in the U.S., but the majority of the parts will be imported.  With the restructuring they're doing now, the closing of factories and downsizing those that remain open, they will have to ouy source to survive.  JMO.   Do I like it? Not one bit.  I'd rather purchase American made myself. But take my laptop for instance.  Instead of my Chinese manufactured laptop costing me $799, it would have probably cost me closer to $2000 for an equivalent American-made one.  I'm just sayin'.

Low labor rates, no pensions or retirement, no benefits, minimal safety related expense - no EPA or OSHA compliance expense....  It would be illegal for companies to operate in the US as they operate in China.

[RedDevil]

Low labor rates, no pensions or retirement, no benefits, minimal safety related expense - no EPA or OSHA compliance expense....  It would be illegal for companies to operate in the US as they operate in China.

You're absolutely right Scott.  It's criminal, that they can operate like that.  There is no "fair trade" as the they like us to believe there is.

[skreminegul07]

Low labor rates, no pensions or retirement, no benefits, minimal safety related expense - no EPA or OSHA compliance expense....  It would be illegal for companies to operate in the US as they operate in China.

Isn't that how America began its industrial revolution?