Senator Lloyd Smucker: Harley Announcement

The all-out push to save Harley for Pennsylvania shows how much we value good jobs and a future for manufacturing.

The recession has created difficult situations and forced hard choices. Here, workers, concerned citizens, community leaders, local development officials, state officials, all pitched in to meet this tough test. Without question, in this challenge, Governor Rendell was a leader in every respect.

This story includes crucial elements of cooperation, commitment, contribution, concession, and consensus. Throughout this process, there have been impressive displays of support, determination, and realism, in public events and private discussions.

Clearly, with their vote, the workers at Harley put the interests of the group and the community ahead of their individual interests. Such sacrifice is not so common these days, and warrants special acknowledgment.

Harley gave us the chance to compete, and to win. We are grateful for that, and made the most of the opportunity.

This effort does not end today, because we need to give the same aggressive attention to helping those who are losing jobs as we did to saving jobs and saving a productive plant and major economic contributor.