Deere & Co. will lay off approximately 100 construction and forestry workers from its Davenport and Dubuque manufacturing facilities on April 1, the company said late last week.
Republican state House candidate and Savanna Mayor Tony McCombie lamented the news. McCombie is running against Democratic incumbent Mike Smiddy for the Dist. 71 seat.
"This is terrible news...another blow," she said. "State and federal legislatures need to get their acts together. Companies like Deere are keeping us alive, but they cannot do it alone. Both sides have to agree we need to be more business-friendly. Before long, we won't have businesses for workers to be laid off from."
Deere officials described the move as an attempt to balance the size of its workforce with market demand for its products.
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