More information, contact: Chuck Jones – (317)-639-1479
St. Petersburg, Fla. – The United Steelworkers (USW) today said that members of Local 1999, who work at the Carrier climate control facility in Indianapolis, traveled to Florida to attend the United Technologies (UTC) shareholder meeting and deliver signed petitions asking the company to reconsider moving their jobs to Mexico.
On February 10th, UTC announced plans to shutter the Indianapolis plant and move production to Monterrey, Mexico. The move would eliminate at least 1,400 jobs at the Indianapolis facility. A video of the announcement on YouTube has received more than 3.7 million views, leading to presidential candidates from both parties questioning the decision.
At the shareholder meeting, USW members called on UTC to reconsider the decision to move the facility and keep good, family-sustaining jobs in Indianapolis.
“Abandoning the Indianapolis plant will have a devastating effect on not only 1,400 workers, but also our families and our community,” said USW Local 1999 Unit President Donnie Knox. “UTC’s decision to move our jobs to Mexico and the video of a manager’s callous delivery of that devastating news to workers in Indianapolis have made Carrier and UTC into poster children for corporate greed.”
“Presidential candidates from both parties are publicly decrying the company’s insensitive approach as they campaign across the country, resulting in substantial damage to Carrier and its corporate parent’s reputations,” Knox said. “We strongly urge you to reconsider the decision and instead maintain operations in Indiana, where we can continue to make high quality products that our customers are proud to install.”
Knox also delivered a petition with more than 4,500 signatures from Carrier employees and their supporters from Indianapolis and around the country, calling on the company to reconsider its heartless decision to abandon American workers and keep good, family sustaining jobs in Indianapolis.
On Friday, April 29, members of USW Local 1999 will take the fight to save their jobs to the streets with a march and rally at the Indiana State Capitol. The rally will be headlined by USW International Vice President Fred Redmond, U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly and AFL-CIO President Rich Trumka.
The USW represents 850,000 men and women employed in metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply and the energy-producing industries, along with a growing number of workers in public sector and service occupations.