Whirlpool layoffs in Iowa draws statehouse leaders’ attention

DES MOINES — Gov. Kim Reynolds said Thursday her administration will do everything it can to help Iowans impacted by hundreds of layoffs at Whirlpool Corp. in Amana, while Democratic lawmakers urged the company to reconsider the pending layoffs.

More than 300 workers at Whirlpool’s manufacturing facility in Amana will lose their jobs March 9, marking the latest in a series of layoffs that labor leaders say reflects a long-term shift of production out of the United States.

The layoffs — 341 positions according to a company notice filed with Iowa Workforce Development — come less than a year after Whirlpool cut about 250 jobs at the same plant. Union leaders warn additional reductions could follow later this year, potentially shrinking the workforce to a fraction of what it once was.

Speaking to reporters Thursday at the Iowa Capitol, the Republican governor said her administration’s workforce agency would ensure impacted Iowans can access state resources to help them find other employment. She said Iowa Workforce Development will deploy its mobile unit to Amana and help laid-off workers find new jobs or get training on new job skills.

“Nobody wants to see that,” Reynolds said of the layoffs. “But every company is trying to adjust and figure out, just like I try to do that with government. … We’re going to do everything we can to help mitigate those layoffs. Nobody wants to see that happen or receive that news. So we’ll work with them and see if we can help them find other employment.”

Democrats cite Whirlpool profits

In a letter sent to Whirlpool Corp. leaders, Democratic state lawmakers noted the company’s recent profits and acceptance of state financial assistance, and urged the company to reconsider the layoffs. The letter says that Whirlpool has received $21.5 million in state investments since 2006 in the form of grants, tax credits and infrastructure assistance.

“Whirlpool’s corporate profits have skyrocketed, yet its workers fail to see any benefit. Simply put, they deserve better,” the letter says. “It’s an insult to Whirlpool workers, the Amana community, and every Iowan whose tax dollars have bolstered Whirlpool’s profits over the last two decades.”

Rep. Jeff Cooling, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, said that legislative Democrats have proposed clawing back state tax incentives to companies that move jobs out of the country.

“Corporations that have benefited from Iowa workers and Iowa taxpayers have a responsibility to the communities that they’ve helped succeed,” Cooling said during statehouse Democrats’ weekly news conference. “Iowa Democrats will continue to fight for policies that protect jobs, strengthen manufacturing and put working Iowans first.”

Big changes at Whirlpool impact Iowa

Just five years ago, the Amana plant employed more than 3,000 workers. Today, that number stands between 1,200 and 1,300. After the March layoffs — and a second anticipated round later in 2026 — union officials estimate staffing could drop to as few as 500 to 600 workers.

Iowa union leaders argue the layoffs are tied directly to Whirlpool’s growing investment in Mexico, where production has expanded significantly over the past two decades.

According to research from the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union, Whirlpool has invested more than $1 billion in Mexico over the last 20 years, tripling its workforce there and increasing exports twelvefold.

The company now employs roughly 11,500 workers in Mexico, compared with about 14,000 manufacturing employees in the United States, the union said.

Whirlpool has said the Amana facility remains “a vital part” of its U.S. operations and that it plans to invest in modernization, including warehousing and parts production.

Whirlpool Corp. defended the layoffs as part of a long-term restructuring of its Amana facility, framing the move as a necessary step to modernize operations and ensure stability. Company officials said the cuts are tied to a “multiyear transformation” that will shift the plant’s role within Whirlpool’s U.S. footprint.

While the facility will continue producing refrigerators, it will expand into warehousing, parts and subassembly work, the company said.

Tom Barton and Maya Marchel Hoff of The Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau contributed.

Comments: (515) 355-1300, erin.murphy@thegazette.com

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