It’s Worker Wednesday, Apr. 2, 2025.

Amie here, thinking about the 651 Iowans soon to be laid off by June 1 from Whirlpool in Amana, about a third of its workforce.

It’s the biggest mass layoff of the year in Iowa (so far), and the largest since Tyson closed its Perry plant and laid off 1,276 about a year ago.

In its announcement Tuesday, Whirlpool blamed “consumer demand” for the layoffs. Its CEO said in January that the company would be cutting $200 million, but anticipated “the eventual U.S. housing recovery” would turn things around.

(Is that housing recovery coming? A whole generation wants to know.)

Workers are unionized with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), which released a statement saying it would “work to mitigate the impacts” of the mass layoff.

“Our hearts go out to every member and family affected by Whirlpool management’s announcement that they will lay off approximately 650 workers at its Amana facility,” IAM said in the release. “This is a community that relies heavily on good IAM Union jobs that help sustain thousands of families in the Amana area.”

Iowa Federation of Labor President Charlie Wishman said it didn’t have to be that way.

“This is outrageous for a company that made $17 billion in sales last year,” said Wishman. “Again, the working class is suffering at the hands of billionaires who don’t seem to care, let alone understand the struggles of the American people.”

He and others argued the policies of Gov. Kim Reynolds and Iowa Republicans weren’t helping matters.

“Before session ends, the Iowa Legislature should restore the 10 weeks of unemployment benefits for the workers at Whirlpool they cut and do all we can to make sure these workers can find good-paying jobs,” said Rep. Jennifer Konfrst, minority party leader of the House.

Iowa’s businesses shed more than 1,000 jobs in February alone.

“Alarm bells should be sounding in our communities,” said Sen. Janice Weiner of Iowa City, minority party leader of the Senate. “The Bureau of Economic Analysis showed in a release last week that Iowa is one of just two states where real GDP has contracted. Our agriculture economy is worsening, on-again-off-again tariffs are exacerbating existing issues, and Iowans hardly go a week without seeing another round of layoffs.”

Who’s really to blame?

We talked about the layoffs this week on Cornhole Champions, which you can listen to here (or on whatever podcast app you’ve got).

If you’ve been forwarded this email and you like it, subscribe for free here.

Amie Rivers

Newsletter Editor, Iowa Starting Line

Member, COURIER UNITED/WGA East

Email me

Working class news you can use:

No confidence in Waukon: Workers at the City of Waukon unanimously voted, 12-0, that they have “no confidence” in City Manager Gary Boden. The vote was conducted last month by Teamsters Local 238, which represents the workers. It was unclear what, exactly, led to the vote, but Teamsters Treasurer Jesse Case said Boden “has failed workers and the City of Waukon time and time again,” citing Boden’s “arrogance and blatant disregard for the work people do to clear streets, maintain infrastructure and keep the community safe.”
USPS rally in Iowa City: The National Association of Letter Carriers will hold a rally protesting US Postal Service privatization this Sunday at 3 p.m. at South District Market (next to the post office) in Iowa City. “The proposed executive order threatens 640,000 postal jobs, including over 73,000 veterans,” said Ben Kayser, NALC Branch 373 Steward. “And it would be illegal and unconstitutional.”
Against those against apprenticeships: Even more groups are piling on to the criticism of anti-apprenticeship Iowa bill SF 603, which is sitting on the governor’s desk, and calling for her to veto it. “This legislation, designed to dismantle apprenticeship programs, will erode workforce quality, compromise safety standards, and drive skilled workers out of our state,” said a coalition of the Indiana Illinois Iowa Foundation for Fair Contracting, the Illowa Construction Labor & Management Council, and the Quad Cities Foundation for Fair Contracting Trust. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Union busting at the federal level: After Trump signed an executive order to try and remove collective bargaining at select federal agencies—which unions are already suing him for—the Iowa Federation of Labor’s Charlie Wishman called it “a disgusting and underhanded attack on the very union workers he claimed to stand for.” Wishman added that bargaining reduces conflicts and lawsuits and improves the workplace for all. “Without union representation, employees—especially whistleblowers and veterans—will lose vital protection from retaliation and political interference.”
The problem with cutting Medicaid: Rural hospitals and hospital workers’ incomes would likely go down if Medicaid patients are no longer able to afford the same level of health care, potentially leading to reductions in services offered for everyone or even closures. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Will Trump get his Canada tariffs? Maybe not!
Is Elon Musk fired? The DOGE head—who has been slashing and burning so much as to ignite a firestorm of protests against everything he does—may be on the outs. (Politico)
Tyson hiring controversy: After closing the plant in Perry, Iowa, Tyson was hiring recent migrant workers in New York to work in Tennessee—fueling speculation it was prioritizing migrants over citizens in its plants. (IPR)
Low-wage workers got raises, but still not enough: Low-wage workers experienced historically fast wage growth between 2019 and 2024, even with inflation. But wages are still not enough to live on. (EPI)
Rally upcoming: The National Association of Letter Carriers is holding a rally to stop the privatization of the US Postal Service on Sunday at South District Market in Iowa City. Here’s why Trump wants to do that. (EPI)
Working on a union: Two workers at Collis Toolholder Corp. in Clinton ifiled this week to be represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Lodge 6.
Iowa layoffs coming up in the next month:

– Wells Fargo in West Des Moines is laying off 33 workers by Friday, and 34 workers by May 18.

– John Deere Des Moines Works in Ankeny is laying off 38 workers by Monday, and 72 workers by Apr. 28. Read more here.

– Collins Aerospace in Cedar Rapids is laying off 160 workers by Apr. 14. Read more here.

– Lutheran Services of Iowa is laying off six workers in Des Moines, four workers in Sioux City, and two workers in Waterloo by April 25. It will lay off one more worker in Des Moines by June 27. Read more here.

– Ascent Professional Staffing in Muscatine is closing and laying off 32 workers by May 2.

Before you punch out 🥊

Child care is more expensive than college tuition in 38 states, according to the Economic Policy Institute, which ran the numbers for each state.

Here’s Iowa’s. Does that surprise you?

How much do you pay for child care?

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