Harley-Davidson announced this week that the company has ratified new collective bargaining agreements with three unions representing employees at the manufacturer’s Wisconsin facilities.
Those unions include the United Steelworkers Local 2-209 and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Lodge 78, which represent workers at Harley’s Menomonee Falls facility. United Steelworkers Local 460 represents workers at Harley’s Tomahawk facility.
As of December 2023, Harley-Davidson employed 6,400 people globally. Approximately 2,400 of those workers are hourly unionized employees based in the United States.
The new five-year labor agreement with the unions guarantee wage increases averaging more than 25% over the length of the contract, according to an announcement from IAM Local 78.
"(This announcement) reinforces the strong and positive relationship between Harley-Davidson and the unions," said
Jochen Zeitz, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Harley-Davidson. "I'd like to take this opportunity to thank both union and company representatives for their hard and most constructive work in achieving today's agreement."
The agreement also includes an increase in paid breaks during eight-hour shifts, an enhanced vacation time earning schedule, the addition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a paid holiday, the expansion of paid personal time from 20 to 30 hours, an increase in profit-sharing percentages, a raise in the pension multiplies, an increase of the company match to the 401(k), and a $4,000 ratification bonus.
“This agreement represents a significant step forward for our workforce, with no concessions made,” said
Craig Norman, director of collective bargaining for IAM. “We are proud to have secured substantial benefits for our members, including notable wage increases and improvements in working conditions.”
