MENOMONEE FALLS, Wisconsin – There is great uncertainty for workers at the Harley-Davidson plant in Menomonee Falls. The motorcycle manufacturer announced that it is moving part of its production to Thailand.

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“How do people feel there?” asked reporter Rebecca Klopf.

“Pretty nervous,” said an unidentified worker.

Watch: Workers nervous after Harley-Davidson shifts work from Wisconsin to Thailand

Workers ‘pretty nervous’ after Harley-Davidson moves operations from Wisconsin to Thailand

The workers she spoke to did not want to give their names or show their faces on camera because they were worried about their jobs and their future. Harley-Davidson says it is continuing to shift production of the Sport Series and Pan America motorcycles to Thailand. The workers say they believe their jobs will be lost, too.

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“We believe jobs will be lost, but they won’t say how many,” the worker said.

Harley-Davidson declined an on-camera interview but said it was a “temporary transition” and “for the ’25 model year only.” But one of the plant’s unions is upset. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Union (IAM) says the company vowed never to build motorcycles overseas for the U.S. market again. The IAM statement said, “Harley-Davidson has reneged on that promise…”

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Harley-Davidson disagrees, saying: “This will have no impact on employment at its U.S. plants.” But workers see it differently.

“What are they thinking in there at the factory?” asked Klopf.

“It’s coming. We see the writing on the wall,” said the worker.

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The Menomonee Falls plant employs around 600 workers. Harley-Davidson signed a new contract with them in April.

Full statement from Brian Bryant, International President of the IAM:

“Harley-Davidson’s recent announcement to move our work and jobs to Thailand is a slap in the face to American workers and a betrayal of the company’s legacy as an American icon. In 2019, nearly 600 IAM members lost their jobs at Harley-Davidson and Syncreon in Kansas City when the company has closed its facility (goiam.org)and claimed that its plant in Thailand would only serve the Asian and European markets.

“Harley-Davidson has reneged on that promise and plans to manufacture these motorcycles overseas and ship them back to the United States for American consumers.

“When Americans think of motorcycles, they think of Harley-Davidson – a brand that has long symbolized the spirit and strength of our country. That this self-proclaimed American icon is now moving our jobs to Asia is a disgrace. This decision undermines the hard work and dedication of IAM members in York, Pennsylvania, and Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, who are the backbone of Harley-Davidson’s success.

“The IAM will use all the tools at its disposal to fight this outrageous move. Harley-Davidson must rethink everything and develop a solution that keeps production of the Sport Series and Pan America motorcycles where they belong – in the United States.”

Response from a Harley-Davidson spokesperson:

“Harley-Davidson is proud to design and develop all of its iconic motorcycles in the U.S. As a global company, Harley-Davidson, like many of its competitors, has an international manufacturing presence. As part of our overall manufacturing optimization strategy, Harley-Davidson will temporarily move production of its non-core Revolution Max-powered models (Pan America, Sportster S, Nightster) to its existing manufacturing facility in Thailand for the ’25 model year. This move optimizes production capacity for Grand American Touring and other core product segments such as Softail and Trike motorcycles at its York, PA facility. Additionally, as part of this move, building on the DOE grant, we are investing an additional $9 million in our U.S. manufacturing facilities to focus and strengthen our U.S. manufacturing capabilities and capacity for our core products.”

“This has no impact on employment at US locations.”

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