A Siemens employee reacted to the closure, as reported by KWQC:
“Our last day will be December 21st, four days before Christmas and that’s one of the most heartbreaking things about it. It won’t be a very merry Christmas for a lot of the people in Burlington,” said Robert Morrison, Siemens employee. ““It was last Thursday when they hurled out the machines that I ran. It hurts, it hurts, part of my life is gone away, but that’s part of life, life has changed”
“We had no idea that this was coming. This was like getting kicked in the stomach, we are just in a state of shock.”
“It’s not surprising that Governor Reynolds’ failed economic agenda is continuing to cause hardworking Iowa families grief. Her mismanagement of this state is putting working people in a bind. We hope that Governor Reynolds will act swiftly to help these families and re-prioritize our budget to actually serve the people who need our tax dollars far more than out-of-state corporations: Iowans,” said Iowa Democratic Party Chair Troy Price.
This isn’t the first time Governor Reynolds’ economic agenda has failed the people of Iowa. Earlier this year, Siemens laid off 200 workers in Fort Madison and another 125 in Burlington. Even with a massive property tax break, P&G recently laid off 500 workers in Iowa City.
Last December, over 250 Iowans in Creston lost their jobs because the Ferrara Candy Factory closed its doors despite incentives from the state. The factory was one of the largest employers in the small, southwest Iowa community.
All of these Iowans have also been impacted by Governor Reynolds’ cuts to Iowa Workforce Development.
Since 2011, Reynolds has closed 45 workforce development offices in areas of the state that are the most underserved in terms of economic development.
Initially, the administration tried to outsource the work of these offices to “kiosks” placed in public places like libraries. After installing them, there has been no record of these kiosks providing actual services, or having general maintenance done to keep them working. The kiosks have since been scrapped by the administration, with no replacement services to the communities who lost offices.
Iowans can learn more about the impact of Governor Reynolds’ leadership here: WATCH VIDEO.