Whirlpool to slash 440 jobs at Iowa plant

The Associated Press October 9, 2008, 9:43PM ET

AMANA, Iowa

A Whirlpool Corp. spokeswoman said Thursday that the company will lay off 440 workers, or more than 20 percent of the work force, at its Middle Amana plant.

Spokeswoman Jill Saletta says the layoffs are the result of sagging market conditions. The company informed workers of its plans Thursday.

The layoffs will comprise more than 20 percent of the more than 2,000 workers at the plant, which was part of Whirlpool's acquisition of Newton-based Maytag in 2006.

The majority of the cuts will be effective Oct. 20, with some coming a week earlier.

"It's a really tough time," Saletta said. "I'm fairly confident we're not the only ones."

The plant produces bottom-freezer refrigerators sold under Whirlpool, Amana, Maytag and other brand names.

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D93NB8DG0.htm

My washer & dryer were among the last made at that plant, I believe.

Someone asked the question; Do we manufacture anything here anymore?!

I had to pause for a sec.

At least in that scenario some Americans will have jobs.

so it's probably fairly costly/inefficient to ship them long distances.

will help the economy. :eyes:

:silly:

mcapplication please! :woohoo:

and I called Whirlpool to ask what models were american made, they were more then happy to offer the list... looks like that list just got shorter. It is getting so difficult to find USA made products.

I work in a plant that makes parts for Amana. We are already at half of our workforce and that was before the Amana layoffs. It's scary out here in the Heartland.

The so-called "French door freezer".

Another victim of the housing collapse.

I would have bought them when we purchased appliances

and our CONgress says nothing?