Union urges officials to block Whirlpool's 341-400 Amana layoffs over shipping move

Union leaders said they will ask every local and federal elected official to stop Whirlpool’s planned cuts at the company’s Amana, Iowa, plant after the company set a March 9 effective date for a new round of layoffs that sources place between 341 and “nearly 400” workers. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers framed the announcement as part of a broader shift of shipping and production to Mexico and urged political intervention to protect families and the regional economy.

“We are calling on every local elected official and every member of the Iowa Congressional Delegation to stand up for the working families of Amana and push back against this latest round of layoffs,” the IAM said in a press release. The union characterized the cuts as “a pattern of corporate abandonment” and demanded that Whirlpool “demonstrate a real and lasting commitment to the United States.”

Numbers of workers affected vary by source. IAM’s national materials described the layoffs as “nearly 400” members of Local 1526. Local counts circulated in recent coverage place the figure at 341, while IAM District 6 cited 350. Whirlpool itself said only that “hundreds of employees would be let go” as part of company changes and in separate comments described the Amana facility as “a vital part of the company’s U.S manufacturing footprint.”

Whirlpool defended the measures as part of a longer-term modernization effort aimed at positioning the plant “for stability and success,” and said it was “committed to supporting affected employees through this transition.” The company also said it maintains an ongoing dialogue with elected officials about ensuring a level playing field for U.S. appliance manufacturers.

Union officials and state Democrats disputed that framing, pointing to what they say is a sustained move of work out of Iowa. David White, the IAM’s director of strategic resources, told union calls that Whirlpool began moving manufacturing to Mexico in 2002 and has since invested more than $1 billion there. State House Democrats cited $21.5 million in incentives provided to Whirlpool by Iowa since 2006 and said the state’s investment makes the cuts especially painful for local voters.

The layoffs follow a previous reduction last July when roughly 250 workers were cut. Union leaders said the plant’s workforce has fallen from historical levels and warned that successive rounds could shrink employment at Amana below 1,000 and, after further reductions, to 500 or 600. An employee with long tenure said the plant currently employs about 1,300 people.

The political response was immediate. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks said she was “deeply disappointed by Whirlpool’s decision to lay off more than 300 hardworking Iowans in Amana.” State Rep. Jeff Cooling said Republicans would seek “opportunities ... to not give taxpayer money to any corporation that sends our jobs overseas.” State Sen. Tom Townsend accused corporations of putting “money over people all the time.”

Workers and the union reported additional hardships: no severance agreements for those facing termination, loss of health coverage on the day of layoff, and shortened state unemployment eligibility. The IAM said it would “continue engaging local leaders and elected officials to mobilize the community and connect displaced workers with every available resource.”

With the layoffs set to take effect in less than two weeks, union leaders have organized a Statehouse visit to press lawmakers and have sought a formal commitment from Whirlpool to halt any transfer of shipping or production work. Company executives say modernization, not relocation, is the purpose of the changes; union leaders say verification is required and that elected officials must use the leverage of taxpayer-funded incentives to hold the company accountable.