Issue of the Week: Harley-Davidson Gets a Free Ride
Harley-Davidson
made $104 million in profits in the first six months of this year even though
its sales were flat.
Its
CEO, Keith Wandell, made $6.4 million during his first eight months on the job
in 2009.
The
state of Wisconsin
has even changed its tax law to help homegrown manufacturers like Harley, a
change that saved the company about $15 million in taxes in 2008 alone.
So
why is Harley now punishing its workers—who haven’t done anything wrong and who
show up for work every day so that Harley can generate these profits—by forcing
unions to take a one-time-only offer with little job security, increased use of
temporary workers and higher health care costs?
Even
with the new agreement, approved on Monday, about 200 jobs will be cut in Milwaukee.
If
the contract hadn’t been approved, CEO Wandell warned, Harley would leave town
to find cheaper workers elsewhere.
Milwaukee and Wisconsin have been very loyal to the
Harley-Davidson corporation, so where is the reciprocation of that loyalty? The
founders were proud of Milwaukee
and its highly skilled workforce. But today, companies are all about “huge
profits.” “Reasonable profits” are not good enough.
It
is unfortunate that employees who spent their working lives making Harley great
are getting squeezed in this Wall Street-created recession. We don’t fault the
workers for striking this deal. But we do fault Harley’s management for making
a bad offer that its workers couldn’t refuse.
Hero of the Week
Ralph Miller at Agape Community Center
Located on Milwaukee’s Northwest Side, the Agape Community Center
offers educational, social, recreational, cultural and well-being programs to
area residents, many of who are seniors. Aiding Agape in its mission are
volunteers like Ralph Miller.
Miller, 75, is a retiree
who, along with his wife, has been helping out at the center for almost four
years. Not only does Miller help with administrative and fund-raising efforts,
but he also assists “wherever else he can,” according to Agape supervisors.
Twice a week Miller runs the popular bingo game—an activity that is not without
its perils, Miller says with a laugh. “Those seniors are like sharks in the
water! If I call a wrong number, they’ll let me know it.”
Readers interested in
helping out or learning more about the services offered to seniors, youths and
families by Agape
Community Center are
urged to visit www.agape-center.org or call (414) 464-4440.
Jerk of the Week
Milwaukee County
Executive Scott Walker
How badly was Scott Walker sweating it the weekend before the primary election? Bad enough to make yet another impossible-to-fulfill promise about the county budget: that he’d cut the cash-strapped county’s tax levy by $1 million. Yeah, right. President Obama’s stimulus package is helping Walker plug some of the holes in his budget, but lacking a resolution with the county’s largest union over concessions in last year’s budget, and trying to get repairs under control following the fatal accident at O’Donnell Park, and facing a near-fatal cut to the county’s bus system, every reasonable economist argues that Walker just can’t cut $1 million out of the budget. But that reality won’t stop him from making yet another empty promise to generate another headline to help his gubernatorial campaign. Even worse, Walker is getting shrill, accusing Democrats of trying to “hijack” the Republican primary—on Sept. 11, no less. Once again, Walker is Jerk of the Week for his overwhelming ambition and shocking immaturity.
Obviously no one on the Shepherd staff owns stock in Harley. If they did they would realize the stockholders took a big pay cut when the dividend was cut. They would also realize the most important people of all are the stockholders and they are entitled to as much money as they can legally get.
I would suggest to the laid off Harley workers to go volunteer their time at Harley dealerships selling motorcycles. Wanna help the company - sell the motorcycles instead of standing around watching others make them.
Whining about jobs losses shows a lack of class. Harley is going to keep the workers that contribute to the bottom line and lay off those that don't. If the workers don't like it I suggest they take over the company by buying up the stock. Then they had create all the make-work jobs they want.
Profits belong to stockholders no workers. Execs pay is determined by the board of directors. Don't like it? Vote them off. What, don't own stock? Then don't complain. If you don't play the game, you don't get to make the rules.
Typical lazy union workers with a sense of entitlement. Its quite simple for those of us in the real world: if you dislike the benefits, management, or pay at your place of employment - go find a different job! Does anybody, besides delusional leftists, take organized labor and lazy union thugs seriously anymore?
A psych ward is not the real world, Corrina. And I doubt you've ever held a real job in your life, what with your mental health record and all.
Workers are workers, union or non-union. I could tell you stories about non-union workers who were too lazy to walk across a room to do their jobs. Productivity depends on the individual.
Corrina, perhaps a little reading on the history of the labor movement would help you. The labor movement is responsible for many of the benefits that you may enjoy at your place of employment today. Think about the 8 hour work day. People actually died for some of these benefits that so many people take for granted.
Corrina, please keep up the crazy rants. They are pretty entertaining.
I just hope that the concessions that the workers gave up will actually keep jobs here. Harley management only said that they would stop searching for a new site. Was there a guarantee that they would not make more demands or move jobs to other locations whenever they wanted? Probably not.
Had Enough, you precisely made my point. Thank you. Yes, organized labor was relevant in promoting many of the aspects of employment we all enough today. However, that relevancy was 100 years ago! My contention is that todays' unions are a farce as they try to dictate to THEIR EMPLOYERS how their business should be conducted. I just loathe the fact that lazy union thugs somehow feel they are immune to layoffs, wage reductions, and reduced workhours while those of us in the private sector must deal with these economic realities. Furthermore, the lavish benefits and pensions that union thugs have come to EXPECT are ridiculous.
Out here in the real world, Corrina, we don't want to be taken advantage of; that's why we need labor unions. In the nut house you have no choice. Why should we let greedy corporate swine rout the pension cofers of hard working individuals so they can fly corporate jets to their island vacation homes? Hey, look at that, time for you daily evaluation, Corrina.
Actually Corrina unions are needed more than ever right now. The wage gap between rich and poor is growing more every day and more people are living in poverty. Wages for working class people in this nation are in a race to the bottom. Organized labor may be the best tool for middle class Americans to help themselves by negotiating, not dictating, let me repeat that NEGOTIATING with their employers. Don't you think that employers also make demands on their employees? Union workers do not feel that they are immune to any cost cutting measures by their employers. When unions and employers NEGOTIATE their contracts they try to come up with an agreement that is fair and equitable to all parties involved The union leaders also know that these contracts may mean that workers pay more in benefit costs or even lose benefits, they may have wages frozen or lowered and some workers may lose their jobs.
Unions exist in the public sector as well as the private sector. Harley Davidson is not a government owned or operated business.
All workers have the right to form unions in their place of employment. Corrina, if you are not in a union at your workplace, perhaps you should try to organize one.
Corrina, don't you think that some of the golden parachutes that are given to some of the corporate CEO's are a little ridiculous? Some of these executives may be given many millions of dollars in salaries and bonuses even if the company is a complete failure.
Do you delusional leftists even know, or care, what the heads of unions such as AFL-CIO or UAW make a year? My guess is no. Do a little research on that.
Corrina, I did a little research as you suggested. Former UAW president Ron Gettelfinger made just under $147,000 per year. That job included representing 750 local unions with 390,000 active members and 600,000 retired members. Not exactly a small organization. His salary was a lot closer to those of the people he represents than the wages of many of the corporate CEO's.
Had Enough, your naivete is cute. Do you understand how a corporation in the private sector functions? Do you realize that a publicly traded company has NO ONE to answer to except its shareholders, which in essence are the owners of the company. If the shareholders and corporate board approve of and support the salaries of its management team, IT SHOULDN'T MATTER WHAT AN INFERIOR SOCIALIST LIKE YOURSELF OR ANYONE ELSE THINKS OF THE SALARY. It really boils down to earlier point I made: if you are unhappy with how you are treated at your workplace, or the pay, or the benefits, go find another job! Don't you leftists ever get tired of the lame and intellectually dishonest class envy that you peddle?
After reading this in the newspaper:
"The union staffer bragged about his ability to garner news coverage of his anti-Walker events from local TV stations, which he called "willing partners" in his endeavors. He also disclosed that he secretly runs an anti-Walker blog at www.scottwalkertruthsquad.org, which prominently features Weishan and SEIU's criticisms of the county exec.",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,All I could think was, gee, we need unions now more than ever!?! What a joke! Game, set, math, I win, buh-bye.
Corrina the point that you made earlier is one option for people that are unhappy with their wages but it is not the only option. You can also talk to your employer and negotiate a raise. You don't need to be in a union to do that but it may be a little easier for a company to sit and talk with a small group of representatives than it would be to talk with a few hundred individuals one at a time.
Why are so many people on the right accusing people who do not share their beliefs socialists, where does that come from? Nowhere in any of my posts did i call for the government control of the means of production. I am only saying that workers have a right to negotiate with their employers.
Resorting to name calling and personal attacks does not make your reasoning any more valid. Let's try to talk like reasonable adults. Even the individuals who bash you Corrina.