I didn't get 75 a hour the union at Harley ain't getting 75 a hour and there skilled. I had a skill I had hundereds if not thousands of peoples lives in my hands. When I handled passenger cars full of people and tank cars full of Hazardous materal. For my 35 years Days Nights Weekends Holidays. Cold, Rain, Snow ,Heat, Working around Oil Grease PCP's Asbestos Lead Creosol Pesticides and the Unknown I got paid for what I did. Fed and housed my family Put my Daughters through school. Missed a lot of Holidays when my kids were small cause I was low man on the totem pole. My body took its toll Eye problems ,arthritis. bad back, sholders, all from working out in the cold. I woulden't have it any other way no regreats. My Union was there when I needed them and I was there for my Union. Thank GOD for my UNION brothers and Sisters. The Union ain't hurting Harley They made money with the Union.

 

I don't know about southern states being "non-union" but if Harley wants to build in South Alabama, I'll help out with the first shovel of dirt. We need some jobs down here that don't involve pines or chickens. Plenty of land available in Barbour County; come one, come all!

 

Harley will do just like everyone else, they will produce parts offshore and then assemble in the US. The only thing that stands in their way of success after that happens is the pressures of being a public company and greedy Unions. I have said it before and I will say it again, Unions today are obsolete, and even worse, they have become able to bully companies into paying unrealistic salaries and benefits contract after contract by having shear numbers strike and crippling production. That is not the way to ensure long term success for the worker or the company.

Paying a premium to a union worker that do the same job as I do with the same bills and family needs I have is crap. Sorry, saying that you have needs is no excuse for the unrealistic salaries and benefits of today. It is not justifiable and it has cost us all dearly in this financial crisis.

It time for everyone to reflect and get back to basics. I would rather have a job for life at $25.00 an hour than a $35.00 an hour job for a limited amount of time.

The moral of the story is "sooner or later someone has to pay". This crisis is not a cycle, it is the result of greed within the Unions and the financial sectors. The government let this happen knowing the results because greed runs deep within all of us...

 

When I bought my first Harley it was from a small dealer that very seldom had any bikes on the floor for sale.You had to order one and wait for it to come in, somtimes as much as a year.The store was small but they seemed to always have the things you wanted.Then they moved into a big mega store with lots of Harleys for sale I know the owner had to pay big bucks for this.Lots of businesses did this and are now having a hard time.

 

When I went shopping for my used bike last fall I had two choices: 20 year old smaller dealership with fewer bikes to choose from - or the new, big, shiny dealership 10 miles up the road. The newer dealer had more bikes but after making an offer on a Road King he gave me the list of fees he would have to add to the price. $500 inspection fee??? WTF is this? I walked. Not to mention the $30 t-shirts. I'm not going to go anywhere near a dealer that just looks at you like a checkbook with legs. Needless to say I shop at the smaller dealer now and they actually appreciate my business. They send me a 20% off coupon every month and I'm always there spending money. Sometimes I'll even buy a $24 t-shirt!

 

That is correct. The MOCO has mothballed their fleet of delivery trucks and is now contracting that part of the business out to hired delivery companys. I think I read where Allied Van Lines has a Specialty Delivery Division and they are delivering to some locations. Can you all say DOWNSIZING?

 

Don't you remember? Al Gore once made the claim that he invented the internet.

 

Yes. I see. You meant it as a tongue-in-cheek kind of thing.

The only thing he invented was global warming and that was a farce.

 

one word.....HarleyMart

 

Gotta love the aftermarket companies. They will keep this from ever happening. You can still buy Panhead motors brand new.