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Harley leaving Milwaukee??

"the expense of staying here..."
Ok, close your eyes and snap your fingers. Well alllllllright, all them darn unions are gone.
Now you get pay cut because there is no wage standard, stock holders decided this.
Now you can't buy all the things you don't need, plasma tvs, bass boats, big ol' 4-wheel drive trucks that NEVER see mud, and lastly, your big ol' chromed out Harley Hog.
If unions go away we ALL will suffer.
If HD's are non-union built, anybody think the price will go down? No, but stock holders will be happy. I'm done.
wilks3

I second that.
Look at what quality used to be, now companys like textile, when it was made in the states by skilled labor (union). now all you hear about the stuff coming from overseas, is lead paint, cheap quality toys.
How about the regualtion, people over ther making 10 cents an hour.
And every company that has moved production oversaes, say Labor wages are the reason, but when they move, the prices stay the same, or go higher
 
Unions and big government are making us non-competetive.

I strongly disagree. GREED is what is killing the job force, greed by corporate America.
Goverment as well, by placing Tree hugging hippy laws for polution.

Do you really want to live in a world, where there is only rich and poor people? What about middle class. The rich people are the CEOS for Corporates.

We need to tighten oour trade borders. NAFTA started the decline, and the China trade is killing us
 
I strongly disagree. GREED is what is killing the job force, greed by corporate America.
Goverment as well, by placing Tree hugging hippy laws for polution.

Do you really want to live in a world, where there is only rich and poor people? What about middle class. The rich people are the CEOS for Corporates.

We need to tighten oour trade borders. NAFTA started the decline, and the China trade is killing us

I agree, greed is a major issue. However, that knife cuts both ways. You don't want a corporation running rough shod over employees but you can't have employees (Unions) placing such odious restrictions on companies that they become uncompetitive. There is a happy middle ground that needs to be found.
 
Thank you Sprinklerfitter and Wilks3, it is people like you that keep the middle class alive, I too am a union brother IBEW local 459 and will be that way forever. Unions do not run companies out of America, golden parachutes and CEO salaries are what does. If Harley goes through with this I will no longer be a customer of theirs, first thing to go will be quality who cares how well a bike is put together when you are making $8.00 an hour. It's time to take a stand and let MoCo know that we will not stand for what they want to do. As was stated before if they get their way the price of a bike won't go down but exec's salaries will definetely go up and quality will be in the dumpster.
 
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I agree with you 2006FXDCI. So what we need to do is get better control of stock holders because they are always the drive behind this. All they care about is return on investments. They are the ones who vote in these corporate presidents and lets them write their own ticket. Was not the last CEO hired to Harley did not even ride a bike. What a disgrace. The early fears of him running the show were something like this happening. Bottom line Harley needs to return to its founding fathers and build good quality bikes with people who do it best. And shred alot of this Harley lifestyle stuff (I.E. shirts,hats,ashtrays,cue sticks,shot glasses and what ever else fills most dealers). The reason being most of those who buy that stuff can not afford it and it is costing Harley alot of lost profit so they are attempting to make it elsewhere.
 
I don't think that the union labour dollars are hurting them. Lets face it Harley desn' spend a lot on research and development. They run an engine for 20 years annd then they create a new engine based on the old engine. Their bikes are not really high tech. I think that they take every thing that they can get from us and they think they are doing us a favor. I bet that labour is a very small part of the cost of a Harley. When was the last time that you heard that Harley had breaking new technoligy.
Kemo
 
When was the last time that you heard that Harley had breaking new technoligy.
Kemo

I'm sure technology is a very thin line for HD. HD does not want to alienate the core customers that they have by introducing new technologies, but yet won't remain competetive in 10-20 years without it.

I look at water cooling as an example. We have seen the discussions here. Most of the opinions I have read don't want it, but can HD really advance technology without it? I for one, would love my Ultra to be water cooled but I am in the minority. But I am also not in the core age group of HD owners either.

R&D costs a ton of money that I don't think HD beleives they will see the benefit of within the current owners group. However, to attract a new group, I think the MOCO needs to move into the 21st century.
 
I am thinking that whether we want it or not Harley will end up putting the VROD into the touring bikes, not because they want to but because without they will be out of business thanks to EPA The VROD would be a nice engine for an over the road bike.
Kemo
 
Just a few words of past experiences of my own. I dont fault anyone who believes in unions. You have every right to stand by your core values and beliefs.

In the mid 80s I worked for a union company. While employed there I was promoted to management and we busted the union. When we were no longer a union shop our wages stayed competetive with union shops in the area I lived in. Now let me say...it was the Retail Clerks Union. Very weak, no support, but sucked up our dues and did NOTHING for us. I'm not a fan of unions and will never belong to another one as long as I live.

I know this isn't a union thread but I just wanted to share my experiences.
Hobbit, I'm not flaming because I respect the opinion of everyone and understand the loyalty they show.
 
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