DES MOINES, Iowa — Over 200 Bridgestone employees worked their final shift Friday at the Des Moines plant, the company citing "demand constraints in the agricultural tire sector," for the reason of its mass layoffs.
In a statement to Local 5, a spokesperson for Bridgestone said in part, "We aim to minimize the impact on our teammates as much as possible and will continue to communicate directly with our teammates. Bridgestone is confident this move will enable us to operate more cost effectively in strengthening our business model and to deliver on our long-term growth potential."
According to Iowa's Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) website, a total of 216 workers were laid off following Friday's shift.
The Bridgestone spokesperson also noted the company has notified local United Steelworkers (USW) leadership about the layoffs.
Keenan Bell, a representative for USW Local 310, told Local 5 in June that each of the affected employees has been with the company for less than two years. Bell added Bridgestone plans to shift remaining employees to different jobs to fill any gaps.
"This is gonna touch everybody in the factory, there's no doubt about it," he said.
IowaWORKS' Mobile Workforce Center will be at the USW Local 310 Union Hall parking lot across from the Bridgestone plant on Monday, from noon until 4 p.m. to help those affected by the plant's upcoming layoffs.
On top of the layoffs, Bell shared Bridgestone also plans to close the plant for 29 days this year, meaning remaining Bridgestone employees will have fewer opportunities to work.
"He's frustrated, I'm frustrated, there isn't anybody that works in this union hall that isn't frustrated right now, it's tough," Bell said.
The Bridgestone plant in Des Moines has been open since 1945 according to the company's website.
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