MILWAUKEE – It's the roar that made Milwaukee famous — the distinctive throaty rumble of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. But that much-loved racket could be rumbling away to another state if the company cannot bring down its labor costs. Harley-Davidson warned employees in April that it will move its Wisconsin manufacturing operations elsewhere if it cannot cut millions of dollars at the factories that build the bikes known as "Milwaukee Iron."
Harley's corporate headquarters would remain here, but that's small consolation to a community that has already endured repeated blows to its civic identity. "When you think of Milwaukee you think of beer, brats and Harley-Davidson," said Steve Daily, a researcher at the Milwaukee County Historical Society. "Right or wrong, that's what it is."
My question is, how is moving to another state going to cut labor costs and how are the employees expected to do that? Is Harley saying that if the employees don't take pay cuts that Harley will move to a state where people will work for less or is Harley talking about leaving the country? I don't see how moving to a different state is going to cut millions at the factory. I'm not good at economics so I could use some help here.
Harley's corporate headquarters would remain here, but that's small consolation to a community that has already endured repeated blows to its civic identity. "When you think of Milwaukee you think of beer, brats and Harley-Davidson," said Steve Daily, a researcher at the Milwaukee County Historical Society. "Right or wrong, that's what it is."
My question is, how is moving to another state going to cut labor costs and how are the employees expected to do that? Is Harley saying that if the employees don't take pay cuts that Harley will move to a state where people will work for less or is Harley talking about leaving the country? I don't see how moving to a different state is going to cut millions at the factory. I'm not good at economics so I could use some help here.