Dorsey Hager, Executive Secretary-Treasurer for the Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss new construction projects coming to the Central Ohio region.
Dorsey Hager, C/COBCTC Executive Secretary-Treasurer
Hager told AWF host Ed “Flash” Ferenc about a May 3 event where Google representatives announced plans to build two new datacenters in Central Ohio – one in Columbus and another in Lancaster. Combined with the New Albany datacenter currently under construction, this will give Google three datacenter campuses in the area.
Upon completion, Ohio will be the first state where Google will have three datacenters campuses. The recent announcement brings Google’s total of campuses to 26 worldwide.
When the estimated cost of all three Central Ohio Google projects is combined, the tech giant will have spent just over $2 billion in the Central Ohio region.
Project Labor Agreements over the next 5 years promise consistent work
In other news, current work and upcoming projects covered by Project Labor Agreements within the C/COBCTC jurisdiction will account for approximately $26 billion in new construction over the next five years, Hager said.
America’s Workforce Radio Host Ed “Flash” Ferenc
Hager added that these figures do not take into account future expansion plans for some of the current projects such as AMGEN and Columbus Google datacenter projects.
Combined, Hager believes the projects covered under a PLA, Community Benefits Agreement or a National Construction Agreement will require 12,000 to 14,000 additional tradesmen and tradeswomen to complete the work.
Building Futures Apprenticeship Readiness Program earns NABTU award
During the 2023 North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) Legislative Conference, held in late April in Washington D.C., the C/COBCTC was honored for its work with the Building Futures program.
Hager said he was honored to accept the Mark H. Ayers Community Achievement Award on behalf of all the Building Futures partners.
The award recognizes the exceptional work by the C/COBCTC to provide career opportunities for members of the underserved communities in Franklin County. The Apprenticeship Readiness Program has helped hundreds of men and women remove career barriers in order to join a registered apprenticeship program and start their career with an affiliated Local Union.
The award came less than a month after NABTU President Sean McGarvey visited Columbus and highlighted the Building Futures Program as the first stop on a national tour touting the need for Apprenticeship Readiness Programs throughout the nation to help recruit more men and women into the union construction workforce.
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