Deere & Co. officials are requesting 275 previously laid-off employees at its Waterloo, Iowa, factory return to work.
When added to previously announced callbacks, that means the company has asked 1,000 laid-off staff to rejoin John Deere since 2024, including all Waterloo, the Quad Cities, Ottumwa and Dubuque staff. An estimated 125 Des Moines workers remain laid off.
In addition to the callbacks, Deere said it’s hiring more than 400 people to work at these facilities:
- Harvester Works
- Seeding and Cylinder in Moline, Illinois
- North American Parts Distribution Center in Milan, Illinois
- Davenport Works and Dubuque Works, both in Iowa
- Ottumwa Works in Ottumwa, Iowa
- Coffeyville Works in Coffeyville, Kansas
The callbacks come as United Auto Workers-represented employees voted against extending their current contract for another two years, setting up negotiations in 2027. At the time, UAW President Shawn Fain noted that 1,600 Deere workers remain on layoff despite the company earning high profits…