CNN said the quiet part out loud last week. They said something HVAC professionals believe more than a few people are thinking.
On-air analyst Nia-Malika Henderson quickly and seemingly without much thought dismissed HVAC installation and repair careers. The exact quote was, “The other thing this president is promising is jobs. Is it worth it to upend the world economy for HVAC jobs?”
Wait, what?
To add some context, this was said on the show Inside Politics with Dana Bash during a segment about tariffs. Now, I am not smart enough on the topic of global trade to pontificate if tariffs are a good or bad idea long-term for the U.S. economy. I am not sure if it makes sense in 2025 to build an economy on manufacturing, or if tariffs are the way to build that segment of the economy. But I also know Henderson does not know enough about the HVAC industry to pontificate on the value of those jobs.
CNN studios are in Atlanta. No doubt she uttered her ignorant statement from a climate-controlled environment. That would not be possible without the hard-working HVAC contractors, installers, and technicians who make sure this country is comfortable every day.
Now, is this simply one uneducated television-talking head making one comment? Sure. But it is emblematic of an elitist attitude that looks down on the trades and is preventing industries like HVAC from properly staffing up.
How hard is it for HVAC contractors to find technicians? Almost every contractor I talk to has more work than employees who can perform that work. You can certainly draw a straight line between what was said on CNN and the lack of qualified folks applying for jobs in the trades.
But that comments like this are made should come as no surprise to anyone in the HVAC industry. Certainly, contractors have either heard similar words or felt similar opinions for years. The examples are numerous — from the guidance counselor who thinks trade school is the answer only for the bottom half of the graduating class to the homeowner who scoffs at the price of a repair. No matter what form it takes, it is frustrating.
Somebody should tell Henderson and others that HVAC is an essential industry. This was never more evident than during the COVID pandemic, when technicians were still going into houses to fix air conditioners and furnaces while a lot of other industries huddled in their homes. The fact that Bart James and ACCA needed to fight for HVAC to be considered essential is still mind-blowing.
Air conditioning allowed the population shift to Florida, Texas, and Arizona. IAQ products make hospitals a safe place to stay and get better. Climate control keeps mission-critical facilities like data centers functioning. Walk-in freezers and walk-in coolers keep the food at the grocery store fresh. And hey, humidification products allow indoor grow facilities to function so certain products can be made for folks that enjoy that type of thing.
Now, I don’t watch cable news. I ran into this clip on social media — where I probably spend too much time. But it is the reason I have not watched CNN, Fox News, or MSNBC for years. They have 24 hours to fill each day, which leads to comments like the one Henderson said about HVAC.
It is an elitist view from someone who does not understand the importance of heating or cooling. She does not know that an entry-level HVAC technician can make over $50,000 a year with no college debt to speak of. She also probably does not know that experienced HVAC technicians can make north of $100,000. Or that the amount of people who start as techs but end up running their own business is too many to count.
The comment stings. Not because it is one person spouting off on a cable news station that folks who have cut the cord can’t even find. No, it stings because the HVAC industry has worked hard to get a positive message out.
I guess the work is not done.
