BETTENDORF, Iowa — The John Deere worker strike could have a big effect on Iowa, a state with seven plants from Davenport to Waterloo and Ankeny.
The Scott County Republican Party's Ronald Reagan Dinner is an annual fundraising event for the party. This year's event, Thursday, Oct. 14, at Bettendorf's Waterfront Convention Center, happened to fall on the first official day of the John Deere strike.
Amid the local contract disagreements, Gov. Kim Reynolds conveyed a message of economic strength to the Quad Cities during Thursday night's dinner.
"If we show up, we win," Reynolds said. "We've got a fight ahead of us, and it is going to take all of us. We all have a role to play."
With topics spanning from the COVID-19 pandemic to Washington, D.C, Reynolds brought issues front and center.
"We're seeing inflation skyrocket because of (COVID-19). You're seeing it at the pumps, you're seeing it at the grocery store," Reynolds said.
Reynolds also acknowledged the on-going United Auto Workers strike.
"Hopefully, (John Deere will) work through the process and get the employees back to work sooner rather than later," Reynolds said.
Reynolds didn't point any fingers at who's to blame in the Deere contract disagreements.
"I think (John Deere is) a great company that supports and appreciates its employees," Reynolds said. "And this is a process they go through."
Despite the strike, Reynolds said she felt the Hawkeye state is headed in the right direction.
"We are the No. 1 state for opportunity," she said. "We are doing things right. Our economy is growing faster than the national average."