National

U.S. companies put aside Trump trade angst to work with White House on job training

WASHINGTON – Some of the nation’s best-known businesses took part in a White House event Thursday on workforce training despite a deep rift with President Donald Trump over his trade policies and lingering fear about his Twitter fingers.

FexEx, General Motors, Walmart and nearly two dozen other companies and trade groups committed to creating 3.8 million apprenticeships and training opportunities as part of a White House push to address what some call a "crisis" in readying workers for high-tech jobs.

"We need talented people, we need people with training," Trump said. "We want everyone in America to have a chance to earn a great living doing a great job."

But the administration's rapprochement with the U.S. business community comes as many of the same companies have blasted Trump for starting a trade war with China and threatening steep tariffs on Canada, the European Union and other allies. Leaders at some of those companies have cautioned that extended trade disputes will hurt the economy.

Fred Smith, the CEO of FedEx, has called Trump’s trade moves “unfortunate” and “counterproductive to economic growth.” Walmart was among two dozen retailers to sign a letter this year arguing tariffs will “punish American working families with higher prices.”

General Motors recently told the Department of Commerce that expanded tariffs “could lead to a smaller GM” and risk the company’s competitiveness with foreign automakers.

The companies are engaging with the White House nearly a year after a low point in relations between the administration and the private sector following the president’s failure to criticize neo-Nazis who took part in deadly violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Before that controversy, Trump often touted his ties with the nation’s high-profile executives, many of whom sat on White House business advisory councils. Fearing the controversy over Charlottesville, many of those business leaders bolted and the White House was forced to disband the panels.

Chris Allieri, founder and principal of the public relations consultancy Mulberry & Astor, said companies taking part in White House initiatives – even noncontroversial ones – run a risk.

“The fallout from those first two councils is very indicative of the pulse of corporate America,” Allieri said.

“There may not be an immediate impact on their stock price, but the electorate – their customers – are now watching and paying closer attention.”

The companies taking part Thursday, including Microsoft, IBM, Lockheed Martin and others, signed a pledge to provide apprenticeships and on-the-job training. Trump said that, together, they committed to 3.8 million opportunities.

Trump also signed an executive order to create a council that will study workforce issues.

Trump has continued to use Twitter to punish and praise companies aligned or opposed to his agenda, injecting a level of unpredictability businesses often shun.

“Pfizer & others should be ashamed that they have raised drug prices for no reason,” the president posted on Twitter last week, a response to the drugmaker’s plan to raise prices by nearly 10 percent on many of products.

A day later, the New York-based firm agreed to freeze prices and Trump cheered.

“Pfizer is rolling back price hikes,” he wrote. “We applaud Pfizer for this decision.”