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[Chief]

Just saw this on Yahoo!

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Workers at Harley-Davidson Corp.'s (NYSE:HOG - news) largest plant approved a new contract on Thursday, the workers' union said, ending a three-week-old strike that cost the company an estimated $11 million a day.
 
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers characterized the agreement as "a significant improvement" over the proposal rejected by workers earlier this month, preserving existing health-care benefits for current employees and killing the company's proposal for a two-tier wage system for new workers.

In a statement, IAM said the contract, which will raise workers' pay 12 percent over three years, was approved by 83 percent of the voting members of IAM Local 175.

Harley-Davidson said production at the York, Pennsylvania, facility, which makes its popular Touring and Softail bikes, would resume Thursday evening.

"There is a time for sharing sacrifices and a time for sharing success," IAM International President Tom Buffenbarger said in the statement. "And after eighteen straight quarters of record profits and sales at Harley, these workers know what time it is."

COSTLY WALKOUT

The strike, the first at the motorcycle maker in 16 years, began on February 2, after workers at the plant rejected the company's last offer.

Harley, which has a number of union contracts expiring over the next year, had been seeking a variety of concessions from the workers, including a new two-tier wage-and-benefit plan.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based Harley said in a statement before the strike began that the concessions were necessary to help the company avoid finding itself "in the same position that the Detroit auto industry is in now" 10 years down the road.

Under the new contract, the union said Harley will continue to pay full health-care premiums for employees, and new hires will progress to the same top pay as current employees.

The walkout was already hurting Harley and its suppliers. Harley warned that its first-quarter shipments would not meet forecasts and that layoffs were likely at motorcycle component plants in Wisconsin that supply the striking plant.

Analysts estimated that each day of the strike cost Harley $11 million in lost sales, and about one penny per share in earnings.

In a statement, Fred Gates, the general manager of Harley-Davidson's York operations said, "We are eager to get back to work producing motorcycles again."

Chief

[TCinVA]

Just saw this on Yahoo!

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Workers at Harley-Davidson Corp.'s (NYSE:HOG - news) largest plant approved a new contract on Thursday, the workers' union said, ending a three-week-old strike that cost the company an estimated $11 million a day.
 
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers characterized the agreement as "a significant improvement" over the proposal rejected by workers earlier this month, preserving existing health-care benefits for current employees and killing the company's proposal for a two-tier wage system for new workers.

In a statement, IAM said the contract, which will raise workers' pay 12 percent over three years, was approved by 83 percent of the voting members of IAM Local 175.

Harley-Davidson said production at the York, Pennsylvania, facility, which makes its popular Touring and Softail bikes, would resume Thursday evening.

"There is a time for sharing sacrifices and a time for sharing success," IAM International President Tom Buffenbarger said in the statement. "And after eighteen straight quarters of record profits and sales at Harley, these workers know what time it is."

COSTLY WALKOUT

The strike, the first at the motorcycle maker in 16 years, began on February 2, after workers at the plant rejected the company's last offer.

Harley, which has a number of union contracts expiring over the next year, had been seeking a variety of concessions from the workers, including a new two-tier wage-and-benefit plan.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based Harley said in a statement before the strike began that the concessions were necessary to help the company avoid finding itself "in the same position that the Detroit auto industry is in now" 10 years down the road.

Under the new contract, the union said Harley will continue to pay full health-care premiums for employees, and new hires will progress to the same top pay as current employees.

The walkout was already hurting Harley and its suppliers. Harley warned that its first-quarter shipments would not meet forecasts and that layoffs were likely at motorcycle component plants in Wisconsin that supply the striking plant.

Analysts estimated that each day of the strike cost Harley $11 million in lost sales, and about one penny per share in earnings.

In a statement, Fred Gates, the general manager of Harley-Davidson's York operations said, "We are eager to get back to work producing motorcycles again."

Chief

Sure hope mine is build tonight
TC

[rubaga]

Sure hope mine is build tonight
TC

Not sure you will enjoy the bike built immediately after the strike. The quality is not good anyway so can you imagine what it would be in the first hours after the strike when there is so much to discuss!

I hope mine will be built with a week (obviously if it was not built before the strike).

[SPIDERMAN]

I disagree on the issue of poor quality especially since the strike only lasted three weeks and did not get bitter. The Union got what it wanted and the workers had three weeks off as well as time to realize that they had good jobs. Believe me I've been on strike ( 13 weeks in 1985) after the 2nd week you start to ask yourself how much the job meant to you. With a good contract, three weeks to sleep in and kick back a bit ( picket line duty is 20 hrs/week for strike pay) I'm sure the vast majority are glad to be back and taking pride in what they do. Couple that with a redoubled effort on Management's part as to QA and IMHO the bikes being made for the next couple weeks at York will be better than usual.

B B

[Twolanerider]

I am absolutely sure that the initial production will be a little better.  Or a little worse.  Or maybe just about the same.  But it will definitely be one of those.

[SPIDERMAN]

I am absolutely sure that the initial production will be a little better.  Or a little worse.  Or maybe just about the same.  But it will definitely be one of those.

Don,
      There's a family portrait going around of the Ass family. Not too hard to figure which one you are.

B B

[Twolanerider]

Don,
      There's a family portrait going around of the Ass family. Not too hard to figure which one you are.

B B

Right beside you buddy  .

[TCinVA]

Not sure you will enjoy the bike built immediately after the strike. The quality is not good anyway so can you imagine what it would be in the first hours after the strike when there is so much to discuss!

I hope mine will be built with a week (obviously if it was not built before the strike).

rubaga,
I was kidding - honest!  I'm hoping mine is sitting in a box waiting to ship .
TC

[harleyteam]

I'd be more wary of the ones that were made just days leading up to the strike.

[mr_magoo]

Glad to see it's over.

[RedDevil]

rubaga,
I was kidding - honest!  I'm hoping mine is sitting in a box waiting to ship .
TC

TC,
I hope you see yours on time...I'm sure you're counting the days now...believe me, the next two-three months are going to seem like an eternity.
Cheers ,
Red

[SPIDERMAN]

Right beside you buddy  .

That's right Don. Wise and Smart. Now if you didn't know the rest of the story, that'd be a pretty good way to think of ourselves. 

B B

[hard10]

That's right Don. Wise and Smart. Now if you didn't know the rest of the story, that'd be a pretty good way to think of ourselves. 

B B

Which one is dumb?

[Twolanerider]

That's right Don. Wise and Smart. Now if you didn't know the rest of the story, that'd be a pretty good way to think of ourselves. 

B B

And then some work without such manufactured limitations.

[hoody]

Prob. just what moco wanted, but glad for the workers it's over