Progress on Harley Contracts

Good.

Bargaining committees of the unions representing Harley-Davidson employees in Milwaukee and Tomahawk have unanimously recommended approval of a labor contract that would save about 1,700 Wisconsin jobs at the motorcycle manufacturer.

Union employees in Milwaukee will get details of the proposed contract on Tuesday, company and union sources said Friday.

Tomahawk employees will get the details of their proposed contract on Wednesday.

The contract offers would be voted on Sept. 13 by Harley-Davidson employees in Milwaukee and Tomahawk.

If ratified by the memberships of the United Steelworkers of America and the Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, the new contracts would take effect in April 2012 when the current contracts expire.

Thus far, company and union officials have not disclosed terms of the proposed contract.

As I’ve said in the past, I don’t think that Harley’s problems are exclusively the fault of the union.  But given that they are in an industry that is more susceptible than most to a soft economy, the union and management need to be even more flexible.  Good for the union. Hopefully they ratify the contract and keep these jobs in Wisconsin.