WEBSTER CITY - Gov. Chet Culver had a chance on Thursday to hear firsthand about the concerns of workers who will lose their jobs when Electrolux closes its doors next year.
Culver, Elisabeth Buck, of Iowa Workforce Development, and Bret Mills, of the Iowa Department of Economic Development, stopped in Webster City for the meeting at city hall with city and county officials, community leaders and Electrolux workers.
"The bottom line is we are here as a state to try to be as helpful as we can during this difficult time that the people of Hamilton County are going through," Culver said. "I personally want to make sure that families affected by the Electrolux closing know I am committed to working with Workforce Development and the office of Economic Development, our federal partners, the administration, and our state delegation. We're all working together to provide support and services that affected families need and rely on."
Culver said his second goal is to help in terms of economic development opportunities by attracting new businesses, as well as helping companies that are already here, to be successful and grow.
"Long-term, I think there will be a recovery and comeback with that kind of focus on jobs," he said. "Obviously, the most immediate challenge is to help the more than 800 individuals and their families through job retraining, unemployment compensation, health care, and all of those things every family needs."
Buck said that workers from Electrolux have been qualified for trade assistance.
"That's a program funded by the Department of Labor to provide for training, transportation and child care during the training. It also extends unemployment benefits for workers affected by plant closings or layoff," she said.
Four hundred Electrolux workers are currently on the trade assistance program, according to Buck.
"We'll continue to reach out to any others who are interested in the benefits for retraining," Buck said, adding that she is researching a community trade assistance program to see what funds are available.
"Because these jobs are going out of the country, these employees get to have access to all sorts of programs, including educational ones. They can get an associate's degree or bachelor's degree with these funds," Culver said.
Mills said the Department of Economic Development is working with the community in terms of visioning and marketing for the city and its work force.
"We're working closely with City Manager Ed Sadler and Gary Sandholm of Webster City Area Development on an ongoing basis," he said. "We have provided information on this community to 200 site selection companies that we work with across the country."
Mills said his department will also work with present employers to retain jobs in the community.
Hamilton County Veteran Affairs Director Rob Everhart asked if information is available on the number of veterans who face layoffs or job loss.
Buck answered yes and said she would follow up on the question.
Jason White, economic development director for Greene, Guthrie, Adair and Audubon counties, told Culver he was in attendance representing the employees of the Jefferson Electrolux plant. That plant is scheduled to close sometime this year, he said, and would affect about 35 to 40 jobs. He asked how soon those employees could start talking to Workforce Development about benefits available.
Buck said her agency could provide general information to the employees but more would be available when the closing date was known and which jobs would be affected.
Others present in the audience questioned whether the retraining funds would allow those who already held bachelor's degrees to go on for further education.
Buck said she didn't think there were restrictions, but took contact information from those people and promised to find the answer.
"That's why its helpful to hear from people such as yourselves. Because if there is a need or cap on that, maybe we can alter a program a little so that people in that situation would have another pathway," Culver told the audience.
Local United Auto Workers representative Paul Erickson reminded Culver that any new jobs coming in needed to be above minimum wage. Lower paying jobs, he said, would mean people would still need assistance in the form of food stamps and other services.
"It's not going to do anyone any good if the jobs brought in are minimum wage. They need to be good paying jobs with benefits," Erickson said.
Culver said he shared that goal as well,
Sherry Hotzler, of Vantec Inc., a Webster City company, asked about the possibility of creating a rail spur that could serve businesses in the southern industrial park.
City Manager Ed Sadler said that talks with the railroads on that issue had not been successful. Culver and Mills said they would also look into the matter.
Electrolux employee Rich Ayers told Culver he and his wife had worked reduced hours at the plant over the past year.
"Because of that, my unemployment benefits are lower, because it's based on the previous quarter," he said. "Why isn't unemployment based on a 40-hour week at the wage I am making?"
Ayers said there is a program - Voluntary Shared Work Program - that the company could sign up for to allow employees who are laid off for one day to get partial unemployment benefits.
"That policy is sitting on someone's desk at Electrolux. They will not sign it," Ayers said. "Is there anything you can do to put some pressure on Electrolux to help us back?"
Culver said he's concerned to hear about the matter.
"Yes, we are going to try to address that directly with the company. We're going to try to resolve it, because, you're right - it doesn't make sense and it doesn't seem fair," Culver said.
Culver said Ayers' concern was one of the reasons he decided to visit the community and talk with workers.
"This is why we felt it was important to come here today and hear from you, the people who are impacted by this situation," he said.
Following their stop in Webster City, the trio traveled on to Sioux City to meet with employees of the John Morrell plant that is closing, and then to Council Bluffs to talk to people affected by layoffs from Tyson Foods.
Contact Anne Blankenship at editor@freemanjournal.net or call 832-4350
