WASHINGTON _ Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders announced over the weekend he will hold President-elect Donald Trump to his campaign promise of preventing United Technologies from shipping 2,100 jobs overseas.
"Let's be clear: it is not good enough to save some of these jobs," Sanders posted on his Senate website. "We cannot rest until United Technologies signs a firm contract to keep all of these good-paying jobs in Indiana without slashing the salaries or benefits workers have earned."
United Technologies made a profit of $7.6 billion last year and the five highest executives made more than $50 million, too, Sanders said.
"I call on Mr. Trump to make it clear to the CEO of United Technologies that if his firm wants to receive another defense contract from the taxpayers of this country, it must not move these plants to Mexico," Sanders said.
The proposed legislation, The Outsourcing Prevention Act, would require companies that outsource more than 50 jobs to pay back all federal tax breaks, loans and grants they have received from the government in the last decade, Sanders said.
The act would also impose a tax on companies that outsource jobs, and place penalties on golden parachutes, stock options, and bonuses that would enrich executives, he added.
"We need to send a very loud and very clear message to corporate America: the era of outsourcing is over," Sanders said. "Instead of offshoring jobs, the time has come for you to start bringing good-paying jobs back to the United States of America."
