Whirlpool has announced plans to lay off 650 workers at its Middle Amana location, effective June 1.
“Whirlpool Corporation has made necessary adjustments to production at its Amana operations to align with current market conditions driven by consumer demand,” a Whirlpool spokesman said in a prepared statement. “This has resulted in the announcement of a workforce reduction of approximately 650 employees within specific production teams at the facility. We are committed to supporting affected employees through this transition by providing access to onsite HR support and a dedicated employee support line, an employee assistance program, and guidance on unemployment benefits through Iowa Workforce Development.”
The customer demand was cited “particularly as it relates to some of the appliances (refrigeration) made in Amana,” the spokesperson said.
Whirlpool currently has about 2,000 employees at its manufacturing plant at 2800 220th Trail in Middle Amana, so the upcoming layoff “is approximately a third of the current workforce,” the spokesman added.
The Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO responded to Whirlpool’s announcement with a statement calling on the state to revamp its unemployment laws.
“Today Whirlpool announced the layoffs of approximately 650 workers in Amana,” the union said in its statement. “This is outrageous for a company that made $17 billion in sales last year. Again, the working class is suffering at the hands of billionaires, who don’t seem to care, let alone understand the struggles of the American people. To make matters worse, the state legislature and the governor of the State of Iowa championed and passed a law that actually cut the number of weeks of unemployment available to workers and communities affected by plant layoffs and closings. These weeks are essential for giving families and the areas they live in a chance to recover. Governor Reynolds and this majority in the Legislature continue to let rural Iowa die.”
The 650 IAM (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) Union Local 1526, which represents the workers at Whirlpool, also released a statement regarding Whirlpool’s announcement.
“Our hearts go out to every member and family affected by Whirlpool management’s announcement that they will lay off approximately 650 workers at its Amana facility,” the statement reads. “This is a community that relies heavily on good IAM Union jobs that help sustain thousands of families in the Amana area. We are working together with our members to ensure that the company respects our membership’s rights throughout this process. We are also reaching out to local stakeholders and elected officials to secure any support possible for our membership. The IAM Union will continue to work to mitigate the impacts of this announcement and maintain the job security of all our members at Whirlpool.”
The Amana plant was part of the Amana Manufacturing company, founded in 1934. The company was sold to a group of investors in 1950 and renamed Amana Refrigeration. It was subsequently sold to Raytheon in 1965, to Goodman Global in 1997, to Maytag in 2002, and finally to Whirlpool Corporation in 2006.
The Whirlpool plant in Amana manufactures refrigerators, including French door and column refrigerators, under the Amana, JennAir, KitchenAid, Maytag and Whirlpool brands.
