Harley-Davidson reaches new labor deal with union; 145 jobs to be cut

Anybody who has been following Harley-Davidson’s yearlong effort to retool operations by stripping away workers and wrangling concessions from labor unions knew this day was coming. The legendary motorcycle maker and Kansas City labor unions have announced that they reached an agreement. Yeah, job cuts are coming.

According to The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal (Harley’s hometown paper), the new deal will ax 145 union positions when it goes into effect in 2012. That will leave the Kansas City Harley plant, which makes the Sportster, Dyna and VRSC bikes, with 540 full-time employees, down from 685 today, and 145 temporary and seasonal employees.