INDIANAPOLIS -- The union president for Indianapolis Carrier workers said he takes it as a compliment that Donald Trump called him a terrible leader.
Chuck Jones said Thursday that the union must be doing something to get good wages for workers because the president-elect spends millions at his casinos and hotels to keep unions out.
Jones was reacting to critical tweets the president-elect posted Wednesday night.
"He took it as a personal attack. I was clarifying his misleading statements. I do not take anything back. I was right on the numbers. I was right on what he said. He got up in front of the Carrier people last Thursday and said that he didn’t campaign to try and tell people that he was interested in saving the Carrier jobs and he just told an out and out falsehood there." said Jones.
Chuck Jones, who is President of United Steelworkers 1999, has done a terrible job representing workers. No wonder companies flee country!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 8, 2016
If United Steelworkers 1999 was any good, they would have kept those jobs in Indiana. Spend more time working-less time talking. Reduce dues
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 8, 2016
Jones said every time he spoke to the media he thanked Trump for getting involved and saving the jobs of 730 union members, but he takes issue with the number of jobs that the president-elect said were going to stay in Indiana.
Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Penceannounced a deal with Carrier on December 1 that would keep approximately 800 production jobs in Indianapolis instead of the company moving them to Monterrey, Mexico.
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Some Trump supporters called the union headquarters in Indianapolis on Wednesday and chastised them as well, but the leader of the AFL-CIO in Indiana disagrees.
"Instead of bullying local union presidents and blue collar workers on Twitter, I wish he would get to work and save a lot of jobs. We've got thousands of jobs across the country, not just in Indiana, are being shipped overseas," said Brett Voorhies, Indiana State AFL-CIO President.
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Jones said he would be glad to sit down with the president-elect and the rest of the labor movement to try to see what they could do keep the 550 Carrier jobs and 300 jobs from Rexnord from moving to Monterrey, Mexico. He wasn't sure if Trump would agree to meet.
As for the threats against him and his family, Jones said those started before Trump's tweets and got worse after he spoke to the Washington Post. According to Jones, threats like "we know where you live, we know what you drive, we know you have children" picked up again with Wednesday's comments from the president-elect.
Jones says he isn't too worried, "You know, them are people just venting. It always related back to Donald Trump, that I disrespected him, that I was ungrateful."
FULL CARRIER COVERAGE: DOCUMENTARY SERIES: Moving to Mexico with 1,400 of Indy's lost jobs | Jilted workers get first look at Carrier's offer | TIMELINE: Carrier to ship 1,400 jobs from Indiana to Mexico | Trump made money off of Carrier in 2015 | Carrier president: More growth expected in '16 | Ex-Carrier employee sentenced for embezzlement | Carrier pay in Mexico questioned | Carrier refuses offer of $5.85/hour for workers to stay in Indy | Coats, Donnelly have 'disappointing' meeting with Carrier execs | Sen. Donnelly: Carrier never cited federal regulations as reason for move | Union president: 'We're not going away quietly' | Carrier employees protest move at statehouse | Pence on Carrier meeting: 'I don't want to create any false hope for people' | Moving to Mexico: What you need to know about Monterrey, Mexico | Moving to Mexico: On the ground in Monterrey, Mexico, where Carrier is moving Trump weighs in on Carrier relocation to Mexico | Carrier: Company did not receive $5M in federal stimulus funds | President of United Steelworkers Union: No hope of saving 1,400 jobs | Carrier employees, local businesses reel after announcement of move to Mexico | WATCH: Employees react to news that Carrier is moving from Indy to Mexico
