Trump Carrier Deal

In his campaign, Donald J. Trump made keeping manufacturing jobs in the United States his

economic focus, and the decision by Carrier, the big air-conditioner company, to move over

2,000 of them from Indiana to Mexico was a tailor-made talking point for him on the stump.

Trump claimed that he would to save the plant’s jobs, most of which were going to move to

Mexico. When he won the election, the 1,350 workers whose paychecks were on the

line wondered if he’d keep his promise.

Chuck Jones, the president of the United Steelworkers 1999, which represents Carrier

employees, felt optimistic when Trump announced last week that he’d reached a deal with the

factory’s parent company, United Technologies, to preserve 1,100 of the Indianapolis jobs.

However, the union leader later heard from Carrier that only 730 of the production jobs would

stay and 550 of his members would end up losing their livelihoods.

At the December 1st meeting, where Trump was supposed to lay out the details, Jones hoped

he would explain himself. “But he got up there,” Jones said Tuesday, “and, for whatever reason,

lied his a– off.” In front of a crowd of about 150 supervisors, production workers and reporters,

Trump praised Carrier and its parent company, United Technologies. "Now they’re keeping —

actually the number’s over 1,100 people,” he said, “which is so great.”

Jones said the numbers of jobs saved reported by Trump and Pence were misleading and

included positions that weren't slated to move to Mexico.

“Trump and Pence, they pulled a dog and pony show on the numbers,” Jones said. “I almost

threw up in my mouth.”