Harley-Davidson’s York factory in Pennsylvania has received one of seven “Best Plant” accolades by prestigious US business magazine Industry Week in its annual awards.
This citation hails the York motorcycle assembly plant’s dramatic transformation in terms of productivity and profitability since the company successfully confronted militant trade unionists four years ago.
Following a lock-out at that time, to fend off industrial action threatened by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Harley demanded that the union either accepted significant job cuts and a flexible working agreement or York would be closed down completely. Facing the prospect of production being transferred to a proposed new facility in the “right to work” State of Kentucky (where enforced collective bargaining by unions is illegal), the vast majority of York IAMAW members eventually voted in favour of the company’s proposals.
Since then, the site has been entirely redeveloped. Some 41 old buildings have been demolished and replaced with just two modern installations. Manufacturing is concentrated in one of these, with approximately a thousand full-time production staff (less than half of the headcount four years ago) building more bikes than the former operation. This new leaner unit makes extensive use of robotics and other automated processes. Casual labour is drafted in on a seasonal basis for production surges.
“BEST PLANT” AWARD FOR HARLEY
