Deere cancels layoff of 54 in Waterloo

Deere & Co. had some good news Friday morning for some employees of its John Deere Waterloo Works plant.

The Moline, Ill.-based agricultural equipment manufacturer told 54 employees that their planned indefinite layoff had been canceled. Deere spokesman Ken Golden attributed the cancellation to increased attrition as well as some manpower needs that have arisen since the company's initial layoff announcement last month.

A continuing decline in farm equipment sales will idle more than 500 Deere employees at three locations in Waterloo. The company on Jan. 23 announced the indefinite layoff of about 900 employees at five locations in Iowa and Illinois that build agricultural equipment.

The layoffs began last month and most will be effective by the end of this month.

The January Deere furlough announcement came after the Waterloo plant laid off 460 employees in October, primarily in two areas — tractor cab assembly operations (about 240) and drivetrain operations (about 195).

The UAW master contract with Deere covering all the company's plants in Illinois, Iowa and Kansas will expire Oct. 1.

Deere manufactures medium- and large-row crop tractors, cab assemblies, marine and industrial diesel engines, drivetrain components, wheel assemblies, gray and ductile iron castings, and tractor parts and components in Waterloo.

Lower corn and soybean prices have affected farmer purchases of two- and four-wheel-drive farm tractors and combines industrywide.