Harley unions to vote on Wisconsin labor contract tomorrow
Harley-Davidson employees in Wisconsin are being asked to vote in favor of a labor contract that will freeze their pay, slash hundreds of jobs and hand large volumes of work to nonunion workers.
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Source: Harley unions to vote on Wisconsin labor contract tomorrow
Quote from the article:
As bleak as the proposal sounds, employees may have little choice but to accept it. If they don't, Harley-Davidson Motor Co. has threatened to move its last two Wisconsin operations to another state, leaving about 1,350 employees out of work. Employees are scheduled to vote on the proposed seven-year contract Monday. The results should be available by the evening. The Milwaukee-based motorcycle company blames its hardball tactics on finances. It says labor costs at its Milwaukee and Tomahawk plants are too high and it only makes sense to keep them open if the workers agree to labor concessions. Tom Koltz, who has worked at the company for 22 years, doesn't buy that explanation. The 56-year-old from Cudahy acknowledged the tough economic climate but said Harley is turning its back on longtime loyal workers. The company could have asked the union to help work out a fair compromise, he said. Instead, Harley is "putting the squeeze on us," said Koltz, a product-development mechanic. "This is a downright attempt to crush the union." A number of items in the proposed contract -- which the company called its lone and final offer -- could give workers pause. |
Source: Harley unions to vote on Wisconsin labor contract tomorrow
