INDIANAPOLIS -- Call 6 Investigates Chief Investigator Rafael Sanchez was denied press credential access to the announcement event at the Carrier plant that will detail the deal the west-side Indianapolis plant made with President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence to keep more than half of the jobs of the original 1,400 slated to be moved to Mexico.
Sanchez's credentials were denied by Carrier executives during an approval process that saw another RTV6 reporter and photographer, and several other local media approved in to.
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Sanchez spearheaded the investigation into Carrier's intended exodus from Indianapolis beginning in February when a video of the announcement to the employees went viral.
When asked, Pence's press secretary, Marc Lotter, said it was not the Trump-Pence campaign that denied Sanchez access to the event.
Banned from Carrier Today. My thoughts. @rtv6 @IndyThisWeek pic.twitter.com/txibySIodh
— Rafael Sánchez (@RafaelOnTV) December 1, 2016
We sent Sanchez across the border to explore the plant there and the life that was ahead for Carrier's new employees, detailing the expected wages of just $3/hour without health benefits for the new workforce that Carrier was moving 1,400 of its jobs in Indianapolis (and 700 more in Huntington, Indiana) to Monterrey, Mexico. Sanchez spoke with dozens of Carrier employees about their frustrations and prompted attention from the city of Indianapolis to provide services to re-integrate laid off employees back into the workforce.
Sanchez attempted to reach Carrier multiple times throughout this investigation, but was only left with written statements and missed calls.
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He finally did get a hold of Carrier CEO Bob McDonough outside the governor's office when the leader of the company was in town to discuss the transition with Governor Pence. When asked if he would work for $3/hour, McDonough only spoke in generalities about the company's next steps.
"Looking forward to discussing with the governor. The transition for our workers and getting back to business."
FULL VIDEO: #Carrier president Bob McDonough arrives for meeting with @GovPenceIN on Indiana jobs @rtv6 pic.twitter.com/mT8C4wenJe
— #IndyThisWeek (@IndyThisWeek) March 2, 2016
Dozens of stories, a town hall event and a 5-part digital documentary series resulted from the dogged investigation by Sanchez.
National attention turned to the company during the presidential campaign, first catching the ire of then Republican presidential candidate Trump, but with Ted Cruz, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders following suit.
And now that a deal has been struck with Carrier to keep the company, at least in part, in Indiana, Sanchez was denied access to the official detailed release with the new presidential administration.
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 refutes 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 weights 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
