Nearly 400 workers at Whirlpool Corporation’s manufacturing facility in Amana, Iowa, will lose their jobs on March 9, 2026, following the company’s latest layoff announcement. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM Union), which represents Local 1526 members at the plant, has criticized Whirlpool for what it describes as a repeated pattern of workforce reductions.
In a statement, the IAM Union said: “Our hearts go out to every member and family impacted by Whirlpool’s decision to cut nearly 400 more jobs at its Amana facility. This is not an isolated incident. It is a pattern of corporate abandonment. Each round of layoffs delivers another devastating blow to a community that has depended on good, union jobs to sustain thousands of Iowa families for generations.”
The union noted that less than a year ago, about 250 IAM members were laid off from the same facility. The statement continued: “Whirlpool has already proven it will not stand by its American workforce. Less than a year ago, the company issued pink slips to approximately 250 IAM members at this same facility. Now management is back with more layoffs and a warning that more cuts may be coming.”
IAM Union officials also pointed to Whirlpool’s ongoing expansion in Mexico as part of their criticism. The company recently completed an expansion of its refrigerator plant in Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila, in 2024 and invested $65 million into its Celaya facility in Guanajuato. Additionally, Mexico was named as the exclusive producer of Whirlpool’s French Door refrigerator line for export mainly to U.S. and Canadian markets.
“Iowa County’s largest employer is destroying the very community it claims to support while continuing to build up its operations south of the border,” the union stated.
The statement argued that decisions made by corporate leaders have direct negative impacts on local communities: “The math is not complicated. When Whirlpool cuts jobs in Amana and expands refrigerator production in Mexico for export back to the United States, working families in Iowa pay the price for decisions made in corporate boardrooms. This is precisely the kind of offshoring that hollows out American manufacturing communities and leaves workers who have given years and decades of their lives to this company. Whirlpool cannot claim to be committed to the United States while it trades American jobs for cheaper labor across the border.”
Calling for political action, IAM urged elected officials at all levels in Iowa to respond: “We are calling on every local elected official and every member of the Iowa Congressional Delegation to stand up for the working families of Amana and push back against this latest round of layoffs. Our members sent their representatives to fight for them, and this is that moment. Silence in the face of this corporate betrayal is not an option.”
The union concluded with demands for accountability from Whirlpool: “The workers of Amana deserve far better than broken promises and a shrinking future. We challenge Whirlpool to demonstrate a real and lasting commitment to the United States. If the company is serious about investing in America, it must bring its manufacturing back home, not continue expanding in Mexico while leaving Iowa families behind.”
According to IAM Union representatives, efforts are underway to protect affected workers’ rights and provide access to available resources.
IAM Union Local 1526 members at Amana manufacture refrigerators under several brands including Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, and Amana itself.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers represents about 600,000 active and retired members across various industries throughout North America.
