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Harley-Davidson begins permanent work force reduction at local plant(York Daily Record (PA) (KRT) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Jul. 9--Harley-Davidson has begun permanently laying off workers at its facility in Springettsbury Township, the company said. Spokesman Bob Klein said in a phone message the workforce reductions -- part of a plan by Harley released in April to cut about 730 workers companywide -- would continue through the summer. "That layoff process has begun and will be ongoing in stages," Klein said. Klein did not say how many workers would be laid off in each stage. He said the permanent layoffs would be within the parameters previously discussed by the company. Nearly 300 union workers were scheduled to be cut from the Springettsbury plant. Further information, including how successful the company's early retirement offerings were, was not immediately available this morning. News the reduction had begun started trickling out of the facility on Eden Road earlier this week. Tom Boger, business representative with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 175, said Monday the union's role as layoffs go forward is to make sure they happen according to seniority. The union's contract with Harley says layoffs have to happen by seniority, Boger said. He said the union would compile a list of those who get laid off and compare it to seniority records. Boger said the union was not involved with Harley's effort to find early retirees to make up the bulk of about 300 planned union job cuts for the Springettsbury Township facility. Boger said the process was strictly between potential retirees and the company. For workers leaving first shift Monday on Eden Road, there was little firm information to speak of. Larry Bednar said workers at the plant speak of themselves as "numbers from the bottom." He's been there about three years, so his number is about 350. In other words, 350 people would need to lose their jobs before his would be cut. Three years of experience is enough to worry Fred Wright Jr. His son has that much seniority on second shift and is a little worried about being on the bubble. Worker Kerry Fritz, with a year and a half under his belt, said Monday he had enough. Fritz believed he was going to be one of the workers being let go. Fritz said it wasn't right for a company to bring him on just for a year and a half just to send him out the door. And he wasn't planning on waiting around. "I just quit," Fritz said. CONTACT US Are you or someone you know going to be permanently laid off from Harley-Davidson in Springettsbury Township. If so, we want to hear from you. Please contact business reporter Brent Burkey at 771-2035 or [email protected]. To see more of the York Daily Record, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.ydr.com. Copyright (c) 2008, York Daily Record, Pa. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |