Nearly 400 members of IAM Union Local 1526 at Whirlpool Corporation’s Amana, Iowa, manufacturing facility will lose their jobs in layoffs effective March 9, 2026. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM Union) criticized the company’s decision, describing it as part of a larger trend affecting the local workforce.
In a statement, the 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 IAM Union noted that this announcement follows previous job cuts at the same plant less than a year ago when approximately 250 IAM members were laid off. 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.”
The union pointed out that while jobs are being cut in Iowa, Whirlpool has been increasing its operations in Mexico. According to the statement: “At the same time, Whirlpool has been aggressively expanding its manufacturing footprint in Mexico, recently completing a major refrigerator plant expansion in Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila, in 2024, investing $65 million into its Celaya, Guanajuato facility, and designating Mexico as the sole producer of its French Door refrigerator line, a product exported almost entirely back to American and Canadian consumers.”
IAM Union officials expressed concern about the impact on local workers and communities: “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.”
They added: “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.”
The union called on public officials for support: “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.”
They concluded: “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.
“The IAM is actively working to ensure the rights of every affected member are fully protected. We will continue engaging local leaders and elected officials to mobilize the community and connect displaced workers with every available resource.”
Workers at Amana produce refrigerators under several brands including Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, and Amana.
IAM Union represents around 600,000 active and retired members across North America from various industries such as aerospace, defense, airlines, shipbuilding, railroad transit healthcare automotive among others.
