AMANA, Iowa, Feb. 27, 2026 — The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) held a press conference this week calling on elected officials at every level of government to take immediate action following Whirlpool Corp.’s announcement of nearly 400 layoffs at its Amana, Iowa, manufacturing facility, effective March 9, 2026.
WATCH: IAM Union Press Conference on Whirlpool Layoffs (includes letters to elected officials and Strategic Resources Mexico investment research)
The press conference was held to demand assistance from elected officials and accountability from Whirlpool on the layoffs, taxpayer subsidies, and Whirlpool’s manufacturing expansion in Mexico.
Speakers included IAM Midwest Territory General Vice President Sam Cicinelli, IAM District 6 Assistant Directing Business Representative Kerry Waddell, IAM Strategic Resources Director David White, IAM Legislative and Political Assistant Director Loren Almeroth, and IAM Local 1526 members Sandra Freytag and Sandra Lorenz, who work at the Whirlpool facility in Amana.
IAM’s letters to elected officials have already drawn responses from some of Iowa’s political leaders, including Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Iowa congressional candidate Christina Bohannan, and a strong joint letter from the Iowa House and Senate Democrats.
During the press conference, information was presented detailing Whirlpool’s record of taxpayer-funded subsidies alongside the company’s continued manufacturing expansion in Mexico, raising serious questions about the failure of U.S. trade policy, including the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, to safeguard American manufacturing jobs.
IAM research shows Whirlpool has invested more than $1 billion in Mexico over the last 20 years, tripling its workforce there and increasing exports, while the Amana plant, which once employed more than 3,000 workers, could be reduced to as few as 500 to 600 workers following anticipated second-quarter cuts announced by Whirlpool.
Members of the IAM Union Iowa State Council delegates also joined an Iowa Statehouse press conference earlier this week, hosted by the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, along with other labor allies and lawmakers.
WATCH: IAM Union Press Conference on Whirlpool Layoffs (includes letters to elected officials and Strategic Resources Mexico investment research)
The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) represents approximately 600,000 active and retired members in aerospace, defense, airlines, shipbuilding, rail, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries across North America.
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