EVANSVILLE, Ind.—A wave of shock rippled across Evansville and surrounding areas on August 28, when the Benton Harbor-based Whirlpool Corporation announced that it will be close its refrigerator plant in that city in mid-2010 and move production to Mexico.
“This was a difficult but necessary decision,” said Al Holaday, vice president for North American Manufacturing Operations for Whirlpool, in a statement regarding the closing which will cut 1,100 jobs. Seeking to soften the blow, he pointed out that, “We are announcing this decision nearly one year in advance as part of our commitment to make the transition as smooth as possible.”
Among workers and local residents, the announcement of the plant's closing produced responses ranging from feelings of betrayal to outrage. At a town hall meeting held at Dress Plaza in Evansville, Whirlpool employee Julie Hillenbrand said, “We just found out ... we had no notification. They just said, 'Go to this hall, we're having a meeting, and it's not good'.”
“It was like someone came up and kicked you in the stomach,” said Hillenbrand, describing her reaction to the news. “I immediately thought about all the bills I had to pay. It was a surreal experience. I thought, wow, you read about it in the paper, and you think, 'Oh those poor people at the Ford plant, the GM plants, and that could happen to us here someday.' Well, that someday came for us, and it was Friday!”
As participants at the town hall meeting held up signs that read, 'You Could Be Next' and 'Stop NAFTA', one worker loudly commented, “And after they go to Mexico, if they find out they can make it cheaper in China, then next they will be making it in China!”
Union Taken By Surprise
Darrell Collins, president of the local union said that even though rumors that the Evansville plant might close had circulated for a year, the actual announcement still came as a shock. “I learned about this five minutes before the employees did. I was actually devastated. I was going to retire in a few years, but now I guess I'll retire early.
“We did whatever the company asked, but they turned around and took the company elsewhere anyway, said Collins, noting “It's not just a job to a lot of these people, it's their whole lives.”
“These workers have done what they could to secure their future,” continued Collins, “and it's a shame that other companies producing refrigerators can be made in the U.S., but Whirlpool says they can't do it anymore.”
Mayor's Quick Response
On the heels of the plant’s announced closing, reaction from Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel was swift. In a statement issued shortly after Whirlpool's announcement, he said, “We are announcing the formation of a rapid response team, consisting of the city, the Economic Development Coalition, the Chamber of Commerce, the Central Labor Council, United Way, and workforce development specialists. The team will gather together all of the resources at our disposal to support Whirlpool employees and their families to help them through this difficult transition.”
The mayor said that despite the efforts of the city and the union, Whirlpool said that nothing further could have been done to prevent the closing of its Evansville plant. “The employees at Whirlpool and their union have made every sacrifice and concession to keep these jobs here in Evansville. This is not their fault,” emphasized Mayor Weinzapfel.
But it isn’t just Whirlpool employees that will be affected by the plant closing. “Also of great concern is the negative ripple effect the plant's closing will have on the local economy, impacting associated vendors, and creating more job losses,” added Collins. “There are forty different vendors [suppliers] throughout this tristate area. Ten thousand people will be losing their jobs because of this—including the Goodwill Industry, the local Blind Association, and Walbash Plastics.”
In light of the fact that 1,100 local jobs are being sent to Mexico, one town hall member suggested that, “There needs to be a bill to regulate big businesses from taking away American jobs. We need to protect American jobs and keep these American jobs in America!”
“We can't blame the Mexicans,” said Gary Gardener, local representative from the International CWA Union who has vowed to do everything he can to reverse the decision. “I know that they don't pay the Mexicans any more. They offer slave rates in developing countries, and they spew out pollution into the water! We have regulations here so that we can have air to breathe and water to swim in. We are going to try and reverse this decision. Failing that we will go through negotiations, including severance pay.”
