From NBC News
Trump Launches Tweet Attack on Carrier Steel Union Boss for Fact-Checking Him
by PHIL MCCAUSLAND
President-elect Donald Trump pledged to be “so presidential you will be bored” during the election, but he continues to keep Americans on their toes after again taking to Twitter to battle his most recent critic.
Chuck Jones, president of United Steelworkers 1999, has not been shy about telling publications that Trump broke his promise to save jobs at the Carrier plant, a pledge on which the president-elect campaigned.
Trump recently proclaimed that he saved 1,000 jobs at the plant, which is untrue. Instead, the deal saves 800 positions. Carrier’s parent company gets $7 million in tax cuts and incentives over 10 years.
Three hundred Carrier jobs are still slated to be sent to Mexico.
Trump did not address the reasons for the feud directly, but instead — with no evidence — stated via a tweet that Jones had done a “terrible job” and suggested that he was the reason companies were leaving the country.
Follow
Donald J. Trump ? @realDonaldTrump
Chuck Jones, who is President of United Steelworkers 1999, has done a terrible job representing workers. No wonder companies flee country!
4:41 PM – 7 Dec 2016
6,740 6,740 Retweets 23,532 23,532 likes
The national union responded not long after, calling Jones a “hero” who’d tried to save all of the imperiled jobs.
Follow
United Steelworkers @steelworkers
Chuck is a hero not a scapegoat: you, others know about Carrier because of his, members’ tireless work since day 1 to save ALL jobs there. https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/806660011904614408 …
7:12 PM – 7 Dec 2016
2,461 2,461 Retweets 3,518 3,518 likes
More than an hour later, Trump returned to Twitter to say the lost jobs were the fault of the local union. Trump said the union should “spend more time working-less time talking. Reduce dues.”
Follow
Donald J. Trump ? @realDonaldTrump
If United Steelworkers 1999 was any good, they would have kept those jobs in Indiana. Spend more time working-less time talking. Reduce dues
5:56 PM – 7 Dec 2016
5,555 5,555 Retweets 20,720 20,720 likes
The union replied that members’ dues were used to save jobs.
Follow
United Steelworkers @steelworkers
Dues have helped us file 45+ cases against bad trade; saving jobs in tire, paper, steel, etc. We walk the walk. #imwithchuck #wearewithchuck https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/806678853305384960 …
8:03 PM – 7 Dec 2016
294 294 Retweets 361 361 likes
The argument started 20 minutes after Jones appeared on CNN and said 550 jobs were still heading for Mexico from Carrier’s Indianapolis facility, while 700 jobs from its Huntington facility would also be sent to Mexico.
Jones later told NBC News: “I tried to correct some of his math, and he took exception to it.”
“For him to say I’m a horrible labor leader, I take it as a positive, because that must mean that we’re doing something so people can earn a decent living wage-wise and benefit-wise,” Jones added.
Jones said some of Trump’s passionate Twitter followers are now harassing him.
“I’m getting threats and everything else from some of his supporters,” Jones said. “I’m getting them all day long — now they’re kicked up a notch.”
Follow
Donald J. Trump ? @realDonaldTrump
Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag – if they do, there must be consequences – perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!
3:55 AM – 29 Nov 2016
73,778 73,778 Retweets 215,630 215,630 likes
Since winning the election, Trump has used the social media platform to criticize China, Boeing, the cast of “Hamilton,” the news media in general, the Green Party and its presidential nominee, Jill Stein, “Saturday Night Live,” Cuba, protesters and more.
He also tweeted that cases of voter fraud caused him to lose the popular vote, a claim for which there is no evidence.
Follow
Donald J. Trump ? @realDonaldTrump
In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally
12:30 PM – 27 Nov 2016
54,105 54,105 Retweets 163,769 163,769 likes
On Twitter, Trump also took credit for saving a Ford plant that was never slated to close.
Follow
Donald J. Trump ? @realDonaldTrump
I worked hard with Bill Ford to keep the Lincoln plant in Kentucky. I owed it to the great State of Kentucky for their confidence in me!
6:15 PM – 17 Nov 2016
29,630 29,630 Retweets 119,226 119,226 likes
The president-elect’s transition team has not apologized or produced any corrections.