800 workers at the harley-davidson plan
are now out of a job after learning the
plant is closing the doors will shut by
next year harley-davidson says this was
a difficult decision but necessary on an
operation standpoint 41 Action News
reporter blinda post looks at the
climate for manufacturing jobs here in
the u.s. guys those layoffs will
actually start in the middle of this
year and as workers were leaving the
plant this morning they say they felt
blindsided experts in Kansas City tell
us that the cuts that 800 jobs that will
be lost at this plant will extend into
the community motorcycles will still
line the halls at worth harley-davidson
and KC
but today Harley announced its closing
its KC plant 800 local manufacturing
jobs lost we've been real proud of our
plant here in Kansas City and we really
don't want to see it go
in the past five years manufacturing in
Kansas City has added about 5,000 jobs
mark says the Harley announcement is a
major blow to that success in KC could
feel twice the impact throughout the
meet the economy we're going to lose
probably about the same number of jobs
that were directly lost by Harley
Davidson but experts say it's not all
bad news since December of last year the
Department of Economic Development says
Missouri added 7,200 manufacturing jobs
closures yet to happen are not on that
list like Harley Davidson or the soon to
shut down ConAgra plant in Trenton that
employs 300 people we have a lot of
customers and a lot of friends that live
here in the community so definitely an
emotional day for everybody
the Harley plant opened in 97 and after
two decades of making Sportsters soft
tails and roadsters 450 jobs are moving
to Harley's other plant in Pennsylvania
workers finding out this morning really
just trying to figure out what they
gonna do next like it was news to
everybody saw just try to be better
Rick worth of worth Harley Davidson says
the manufacturer will keep making the
same number of bikes he says they can
make bikes more efficiently now with
automation local officials say while the
closure is not good news the area will
rebound
you know if there's a community that
maybe can help absorb this loss it's it
is Kansas City given the fact that our
manufacturing growth has been pretty
strong recently we're on an upward the
president of harley-davidson cited low
sales for the reason for this move he
says it's what's best for the company
reporting in Kansas City Belinda post 41
Action News
Belinda thank you and just about an hour
ago the machinist union union sent us a
statement not mincing any words Kansas
City is suffering the consequences of
harley-davidsons continued and neglect
of its North American work ship
workforce and ridership harley-davidson
has yet to put together a program that
increases market share in north america
with motorcycles made here instead of
overseas