Last Updated on August 7, 2020
After President Trump took action against the federally owned Tennessee Valley Authority week by removing board members for outsourcing domestic jobs to foreign nationals, corporation CEO Jeff Lyash has reversed course and agreed to comply with the President’s demand to put American workers first.
Trump originally slammed Lyash and the TVA during an August 3 press conference, which took place after a meeting with nonprofit activist group U.S. Tech Workers:
President Donald Trump fired the chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority on Monday, citing the federally owned corporation’s decision to outsource a fifth of its jobs to foreign nationals, and the fact that CEO Jeff Lyash is “ridiculously overpaid.”
The President’s decision came moments after meeting with the nonprofit organization U.S. Tech Workers, which engages in activism on behalf of American workers against the H1B visa program.
“Let this serve as a warning to any federally appointed board: If you betray American workers, then you will hear two simple words: ‘You’re fired,’” Trump said Monday, speaking about TVA chair Jeff Lyash.
Trump called planned TVA layoffs of American workers “disastrous and heartless,” and removed board members including Chairman James Thompson. Further firings were threatened if the TVA continued to prioritize foreign labor.
On Thursday, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported that Lyash and TVA interim chairman John Ryder had met with administration officials at the White house and pledged to reverse course on prioritizing cheap foreign labor over the American working class.
In a statement, Lyash acknowledged that “We were wrong in not fully understanding the impact on our employees, especially during the pandemic,” and pledged to “take immediate actions to address this situation.”
In an about-face from Lyash’s previous disagreements with the President, he also stated that the TVA “fully understands and supports the Administration’s commitment to preserving and growing American jobs.”
Employees whose jobs were outsourced to foreign workers will now reportedly have the ability to return to their original positions.
The TVA was founded in the 1933 to help provide jobs to local residents during the Great Depression, which added to the outrage many workers felt when their jobs were handed to out to visa holders.
