Iowa John Deere workers recalled after layoffs

John Deere has recalled 245 workers in Iowa after mass layoffs. They’ll be back on the job this month and next.

Prompted by weaker demand, a lagging agricultural economy and Trump administration tariffs on equipment, John Deere laid off workers across the Midwest last fall, including in Iowa.

Charlie Wishman, president of the Iowa AFL-CIO, said going back to work is a win for the workers, but also for the communities where they live.

“When our communities here that are anchored by companies like John Deere, when those jobs, when those layoffs are announced,’ he said, “it doesn’t just throw the family, it throws an entire town into confusion and chaos and worry.”

One hundred fifty of the recalled workers are going back to work at four Deere facilities in Waterloo.

Deere said the workers specialize in drive-train operations, tractor operations and engine works. Wishman said Deere weighed a handful of factors in deciding when to recall laid-off workers, adding that he believes the rehires will have a trickle-down effect.

“To give these communities some stability, some insight and some understanding of what the future might look like for them,” he said, “it’s really, really good news.”

Some of the workers will return this month, and the rest will be back on the job in March.

Related: WATCH: John Deere blames layoffs on Trump tariff costs