Last Day of Work for Maytag Employees in Newton
December 22nd, 2006 at 03:41pm Chase Martyn
It’s easy to forget stories like this with all that’s going on (especially on a day when we get linked from MyDD), but today is the last day of work for most of the remaining Maytag employees in Newton.
As a canvasser going door to door in Newton (among other cities) over the summer, I heard firsthand how frustrated folks were with what had happened. I think our fears that the shutdown would have far-reaching political implications have luckily proven false, but union strength in Newton was certainly a bit weaker this year, and it’s a safe bet that this had something to do with it.
From the Register, whose coverage of this story has generally been pretty good:
“I’m sad,” production worker Machell Phifer said this week. “I’m scared.”
The cuts will leave about 660 workers in the washer-dryer factory, where the work force was about 2,600 four years ago.
Also quoted is Ted Johnson, president of the UAW local:
The average Maytag production worker earns about $19 an hour. “Locally, there’s not anything comparable to what they have now” in wages and benefits, said Johnson.
Related Posts
- Impacts of the Maytag Closure in Newton
- Fighting for Newton
- Is Newton the next Flint?
- Collective Bargaining Moves Forward
- For what shall it profit Chet, if he shall gain Yepsen, and lose his party?
Entry Filed under: Miscellaneous, State Politics
Related Searches: uaw local, safe bet, ted johnson, union strength, mydd
1 Comment Add your own
1. Ben Weyl | December 24th, 2006 at 12:44 am
Glad you wrote this post Chase, it’s an important issue for Iowans and others across the country. This quote from the article struck me, in particular: “He said Whirlpool is pulling out with no regard ‘for the community or workers’ lives and the heritage of this plant.’” Whether we like it or not, the 1950s are long gone, and with it, the idea that workers can rely on their employers for a decent, life-long job. Unfortunately, I haven’t heard many politicians talk about these issues in meaningful terms. We can’t turn back the clock and we can’t pretend that lives aren’t being devastated by the consequences of our globalized economy. The candidate who can legitimately address these concerns will do quite well in 2008.
Leave a Comment
Some HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong>
Trackback this post | Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed