Harley-Davidson Keeping Kansas City Plant Open – Surprise!

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This has become so predictable.  Harley-Davidson has used the same strategy again to get what they want from workers.  Cut permanent employees; add casual workers and then we will stay put.  First York, then Wisconsin, now Missouri.  They are cutting 145 union workers and adding 145 casual workers to replace them in order to be competitive in Missouri.  And of course “other restructuring moves” are thrown in for good measure.

It was either agree to Harley’s terms or they would shut down the plant in question each time.  Seriously, workers are left with no option other than to agree or face a plant closing.  Not much or a choice.

Harley-Davidson Whittles Away At Its Workforce

York based Harley-Davidson USA announced that it will eliminate another 200 full-time, permanent, union workers next week.  Workers were informed Friday or yesterday that their jobs were being eliminated.

Now this is the interesting part.  Casual workers have begun appearing at the York site to fill in for planned or unplanned absent workers.  HOWEVER, this has everything  nothing to do with staff reductions 😉 (pay no attention to the man behind the curtain).   Harley-Davidson is slashing their York based work force from 1,950 to between 700 – 800 full-time, union production workers.  200-300 casual employees are needed to augment the nearly 60% reduction in staff.  Casual workers are part-time workers with limited or no benefits, in many cases.

In the coming months, Harley-Davidson plans to cut non-union and salaried workers as well.

So who said the recession is over????