Whirlpool Corporation is dramatically scaling back operations at its Amana, Iowa, manufacturing facility, a move that union officials say reflects a broader shift of production to Mexico. The company announced it will lay off 341 workers on , with the potential for further job reductions in the second quarter of .
The cuts represent a significant contraction of the Amana plant’s workforce. Just five years ago, the facility employed over 3,300 workers across five assembly lines. Today, the plant operates with between 1,200 and 1,300 employees, and after the initial layoffs, that number is expected to fall to between 500 and 600. The company laid off 250 workers last summer, compounding the current reductions.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) has strongly condemned Whirlpool’s decision, arguing it is part of a pattern of “corporate abandonment” and a deliberate strategy to move jobs south of the border. “Our hearts go out to every member and family impacted by Whirlpool’s decision to cut nearly 400 more jobs at its Amana facility,” the union said in a statement. The IAM points to Whirlpool’s expansion of facilities in Mexico, including a refrigerator plant expansion in Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila in , a $65 million investment in Celaya, Guanajuato, and the designation of Mexico as the sole producer of its French door refrigerator line.
Whirlpool maintains that the layoffs are part of a “multi-year modernization plan” designed to transform the Amana plant into a “dynamic operation” focused on warehousing, parts production, and sub-assembly work, alongside continued refrigerator manufacturing. A company spokesperson stated the Amana facility “is a vital part of the company’s U.S. Manufacturing footprint” and will continue to produce two-door bottom-mount and French door refrigerators. However, union officials are skeptical, predicting that the plant will primarily become a warehousing hub.
“Basically, they are just going to store products at the facility,” said Loren Almeroth, legislative and political assistant director for the IAM. “There probably will be some kitting of parts, which is putting a group of parts together and sending them to other facilities to aid other assembly lines.”
The timing of the cuts comes after a previous round of layoffs at the Amana plant in , which were initially slated to affect 651 employees but were later reduced to 251 in . The current layoffs, effective , will affect members of IAM Local 1526, District 6.
Union officials report that many of the affected workers have been with the company for seven to eight years. Critically, Whirlpool is not offering a severance package to laid-off workers, who will also immediately lose their health insurance benefits. The company stated it “will follow all applicable laws and the terms of the collective bargaining agreement” regarding severance and healthcare, but this offers little immediate relief to those losing their jobs.
The Amana plant, built in , has historically been a major employer in Iowa County. The IAM and other union representatives have reached out to Iowa’s congressional delegation and state elected officials, seeking assistance in preventing further job losses. The situation highlights the ongoing challenges facing American manufacturing as companies grapple with globalization, automation, and shifting production costs.
Whirlpool, headquartered in Benton Harbor, Michigan, describes itself as the “only major U.S.-based manufacturer of kitchen and appliances,” with a brand portfolio including Whirlpool, KitchenAid, JennAir, Maytag, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, and InSinkErator. The company’s decision to reduce its footprint in Iowa while expanding in Mexico underscores the complex dynamics shaping the appliance industry and the broader American manufacturing landscape.
The Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila facility in Mexico currently produces an estimated 300,000 refrigerators annually, and Whirlpool operates a total of five manufacturing plants in Mexico.
