Des Moines Register
10-26-07
Tears flow, outrage shows as workers say goodbye
The last day of production in Newton is an emotional one as hundreds of
employees begin to face life without Maytag.
By WILLIAM RYBERG
REGISTER BUSINESS WRITER
Newton, Ia. — Expressions of sadness, anger, hope and relief marked the final
day of production Thursday at the Maytag washer/dryer factory in Newton.
Workers shed tears, shared hugs and said goodbyes after the final appliances
rolled down the assembly line.
"I'm numb," said Mike Jackson, 52, of Newton, a 19-year veteran at the plant.
"My legs are wobbly."
About 550 production employees worked their last day at the factory Thursday.
About 100 will return Monday to do cleanup and officially close the plant in
November.
Only a small group of managers was scheduled to be at the plant today, said Jeff
Noel, a vice president for Benton Harbor, Mich.-based Whirlpool Corp., the
plant's owner since March 2006.
Workers began filing out of the factory early in the afternoon under a bright sun
and blue sky. "We're done," said Melinda Kirtley, 49, a Maytag worker for 21
years.
Most of the workers losing their jobs have put in 20 or more years with the
company, and many were emotional as they left the plant for the last time.
A middle-aged female worker sobbed uncontrollably, leaning against the plant's
chain-link fence for support. A co-worker put her arm around her shoulder and
helped her walk away.
Some expressed anger at Whirlpool and blamed past Maytag management for
making decisions that weakened the company, making it ripe to be purchased by
its longtime rival.
"I'll never own anything from Whirlpool, period," worker Dan Ingle said.
Noel said earlier in the week that Newton's Maytag employees were "wonderful
people who make great products," and Whirlpool realizes that the closing will
have an impact on their lives. "It's a somber day," he said.
Closing the factory was a decision that had to be made, Noel said, adding that
financially struggling Maytag had been cutting jobs long before Whirlpool entered
the picture.
Work from the Newton factory was transferred to Whirlpool plants in Ohio that
were more cost-efficient because of their size and production volume capability.
The mood in the plant had been somber for the entire week, said employee Chris
Doran, 51, of Newton. "It's been real sad," he said.
Doran plans to go back to school under a federal retraining program available to
the workers. He wants to become a counselor for victims of chemical
dependency.
"It's a whole new fresh beginning for me," he said.
Displays of sadness, memories and anger turned the plant's fence into a
makeshift memorial.
A homemade wooden sign in the shape of a tombstone hung on the fence near
one entrance. It said "R.I.P. Maytag. Best appliances in the world. Best people in
the world," in stenciled lettering. Then someone had written in by hand, "I love
you all. Best wishes."
Some workers tied their work shoes to the fence, or left their boots behind, as a
symbol that their days at Maytag were over. One worker threw his from the
window of his pickup truck as he drove away.
Retirees and wives, children and friends of workers showed up to be with
employees as they walked out of the plant, where generations of Newton-area
residents have worked.
Kent VanErsvelde, 43, of Newton gave his 18-year-old daughter a personal tour
of the factory on the final day. She hadn't been inside since she was a child. She
asked to see it one more time while her dad still worked there.
"I feel horrible about the closing," he said. "It's a good-paying job. It supported my
family for 20 years. A job like that just isn't around anymore."
Some employees still aren't sure what the future holds.
Ted Johnson, president of the plant's union, Local 997 of the United Auto
Workers, said he doesn't have a breakdown on what the newly jobless workers
will do.
Some have jobs lined up and others don't. Some will have to find jobs in other
cities and commute to work, Johnson said.
A new factory could offer job opportunities. TPI Composites Inc. of Warren, R.I.,
has expressed interest in opening a plant to make blades for wind turbine
electrical generators. Wages for many production jobs would start at $12.25 an
hour, and the overall average pay would be $14 to $15 an hour.
The average wage in the Maytag factory was $19 an hour, and highly skilled
workers such as electricians and pipe-fitters made up to $24 an hour, Johnson
said.
David Swenson, an economist at Iowa State University, said the Des Moines
metro area and towns such as Pella will offer job opportunities to the
permanently laid-off workers. He expects many workers will leave Newton.
"Those with the skills in the greatest demand regionally or nationally, and with the
highest amount of personal motivation, will migrate soonest," Swenson wrote in
an e-mail.
Many previously laid off Maytag employees have continued to live in Newton,
while commuting to jobs at other manufacturers, such as window and door maker
Pella in Pella, the Lennox furnace and air conditioner factory in Marshalltown and
Deere and Co.'s farm equipment plant in Ankeny.
At a news conference after the closing, Johnson lamented the plant's closing and
said American workers and the middle class are under attack by large
corporations, where chief executives' pay skyrockets while jobs are cut and
worker pay is driven down.
"It's wrong," Johnson said.
Reporter William Ryberg can be reached at (515) 284-8104 or bryberg@dmreg.