Job Woes Worsen in Fort Smith

It’s a bad time to be in the refrigeration business in Fort Smith, Arkansas. On the heels of the recently announced layoffs at a Trane air conditioner factory, appliance manufacturer Whirpool announced that it would cease production on several refrigerator models at a plant also located in Fort Smith. Whirlpool has not released the number of layoffs that will occur because of the end of production, but approximately 400 workers are employed on the shift that manufactures the models in question.

A recent union bulletin warned that layoffs may not be confined to production lines working on the terminated models: “Because of a softening in the economy and projected lower volumes that have developed since previous communications, Line 3 rates will also be reduced.”