The Carrier plant where Trump reportedly saved hundreds of jobs in his campaign breakthrough last December is now planning large amounts of layoffs right before the holiday season.
In February of last year, the large heating and air conditioning company Carrier alarmingly announced its plan to close down and relocate to Mexico. This relocation would have left their 1,400 U.S. employees without jobs.
Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence, however, worked out an agreement with the company in December that allowed almost 1,000 citizens to keep their jobs:
We are pleased to have reached a deal with President-elect Trump & VP-elect Pence to keep close to 1,000 jobs in Indy. More details soon.
— Carrier (@Carrier) November 30, 2016
This marked a significant victory for Trump, whose passion for American employment contributed to his winning his position in office:
Big day on Thursday for Indiana and the great workers of that wonderful state.We will keep our companies and jobs in the U.S. Thanks Carrier
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2016
Although both parties seemed quite happy about the compromise, Carrier has since appeared to rethink its decision to remain in the country. In an announcement last year, the plant stated its need for cost-reduction and planned to cut down on labor in spite of their deal with Trump.
In 2017, Carrier authorities are carrying out this decision, announcing in a letter released today their plan to lay off 632 workers and relocate their positions to Monterrey, Mexico. About 290 of these jobs will transfer right before Christmas time, leaving almost half of these U.S. citizens in the dust right before they need holiday bonuses to buy gifts for their families.
His press conference at Carrier after their agreement would indicate that Trump was not counting on the company pulling a stunt like this one. He even expressed love for the saved workers with hope for their futures:
“They’re so happy. They’re going to have a great Christmas. That’s most important.”
Now, the public is waiting to see how our passionate President will respond to Carrier’s recent news. Let’s hope for another miracle.