The manufacturer that gave Trump his biggest win since the election just raised a major issue with the deal
Carrier released a statement applauding the Trump administration's support for the business community, stating that it would preserve some jobs by continuing to manufacture gas furnaces in Indianapolis.
Carrier, which is owned by United Technologies Corp., ended the statement with a subtle jab at the president-elect.
"This agreement in no way diminishes our belief in the benefits of free trade and that the forces of globalization will continue to require solutions for the long-term competitiveness of the U.S. and of American workers moving forward," the statement said.
Carrier is saying that while Trump may have found a solution to save 1,000 Carrier jobs, he still needs to solve the underlying issues that would have allowed United Technologies to save $65 million by moving manufacturing to Mexico.
Carrier became a poster child throughout Trump's campaign for problems facing American workers as manufacturing jobs leave the US.
"If I was in office, Carrier wouldn't be leaving," Trump said in a speech at the Indiana Fairgrounds in April. He said he would impose an aggressive tax on Carrier and other companies moving manufacturing jobs outside the US.
Reports indicate that Trump was able to fulfill his promise by offering Carrier financial incentives to keep jobs in Indiana, as well as leveraging government contracts, since military sales make up 10% of United Technologies' business.
While Carrier's factories carried major symbolic weight for the president-elect, negotiating on a case-by-case basis with each company that threatens to outsource jobs would require a lot of time and effort - especially if each company expects Trump to sweeten the deal.