Reinstedler: Appliance Park deal 'shows what it means to have someone in office who takes our calls and takes working people seriously.'

By BERRY CRAIG

AFT Local 1360

In an online story about 800 full-time jobs coming to General Electric Appliance Park in Louisville, WKLY’s Alex Suckow wrote, “We're told the deal came together in just the last month. GE Appliances CEO Kevin Nolan said the deal moved quickly, and that Kentucky beat out other states being considered.”

She quoted Gov. Andy Beshear: “Today’s announcement brings more appliance manufacturing back to the United States and solidifies Kentucky and Louisville as the global headquarters of GE Appliances. GE Appliances is one of Kentucky’s most important companies and signature brands, and we are excited about this additional commitment.”

Kentucky State AFL-CIO President Dustin Reinstedler said Kentucky “beat out other states” thanks to Beshear, who said GE Appliances will invest $490 million at Appliance Park, reportedly the heftiest investment in the firm’s long history.

"We are thankful that Gov. Beshear pushed to put a package together to ensure the laundry product was brought to Appliance Park," said Dino Driskell, president of UE-CWA Local 83761, which represents hourly workers at the sprawling facility. 

"This was critical to ensuring the longevity of Appliance Park and our membership as had this been awarded to another state, it is likely that we could have lost the laundry product we currently make in AP1.  Even though with this agreement we are losing 16 skilled trades jobs, we have to get to work on ensuring the maintenance jobs that have been outsourced to non-union contractors will remain our bargaining unit work.  We will not just sit back and let this happen without fighting for it."

Reinstedler said the deal proves a point he tries to hammer home with labor leaders and rank-and-file union members: “Elections have real consequences for working people. Leadership matters—especially when jobs are on the line.”

Unions consider Beshear one of the state’s most labor-friendly governors ever. He earned the state AFL-CIO’s endorsement when he ran for attorney general and won and both times he was elected governor.

“There’s a big difference when elected officials are willing to work with us," Reinstedler said. "When labor doesn’t have a seat at the table, we’re often left fighting just to be heard. This deal shows what it means to have someone in office who takes our calls and takes working people seriously.”

Reinstedler said the state AFL-CIO has “a 100 percent open-phone and open-door policy with the governor. We can walk in his office any time we want. 

"For example, we never would have been invited into the conversation had [Daniel] Cameron been elected. Nor would we have been able to get a meeting with him as governor to express the collective concerns of working class people. As both Kentucky and America move forward in this time of an undeniable situation where the ruling class runs our government, working class people need to pay attention to which candidates are all talk and which ones actually walk the walk."

Wrote Suckow: “Mayor Craig Greenberg added that the city was able to provide $4 million in cash incentives to GE Appliances to help sway the company.” She added that “Nolan said President Donald Trump's tariffs placed on China played a role in the decision to move, but the main reason was because the company is focused on consolidating its work force.”

GE Appliances was severed from GE and sold to Haier, a Chinese firm, 9 years ago, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal.

Lee Lagomarcino, vice president of Clothes Care at GE Appliances said that the company “has considered the move [from China to Louisville] for six or seven years, but that tariffs helped accelerate the decision,” wrote the Louisville Courier-Journal’s Olivia Evans. 

The Louisville facility is expected to begin manufacturing “more than 15 different kinds of front load washing machines, including their new combination washer and dryer,” Suckow wrote. “The new product lines are scheduled to begin production in 2027.”

Appliance Park is GE Appliances’ biggest manufacturing operation. Encompassing 6 million square feet, the industrial park produces washers, dryers, dishwashers and refrigerators, according to The Lane Report. 

Production started in 1953. "The campus sits on 750 acres in southern Jefferson County, serves as the company’s global headquarters and includes marketing, sales and support functions. Appliance Park also houses the company’s technology and engineering center, industrial design, distribution center and warehouse operations. GE Appliances employs more than 8,000 people full-time at Appliance Park and a nearby call center," according to Lane.

Added Lane: "Since the beginning of his administration, Gov. Beshear has announced nearly 1,200 private-sector new-location and expansion projects totaling roughly $36 billion in announced investments, creating close to 62,000 jobs. This is the highest investment figure secured during the tenure of any governor in the commonwealth’s history and is nearly $15 billion more than the next highest total."

“Many of those jobs are union jobs, and that’s not by accident,” Reinstedler said. “It’s because workers organized and demanded better—and we’re going to keep pushing to make sure these investments come with strong contracts and real protections.”