Columbus Building Trades Leader Dorsey Hager on Intel, Data Centers and Union Market Share
Dorsey Hager, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Columbus Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to deliver a detailed status report on what he called the “Silicon Valley of the Midwest.” The headline project in Central Ohio remains Intel’s $28 billion chip plant, where Hager said nearly 1,000 building trades members are currently working, and the workforce is expected to ramp by another 600 by summer.
Hager also outlined a broader pipeline of union construction: natural gas generation built to support data centers, a newly announced Google campus in Scioto County, Ohio, a multi-site data center development near Marysville, Ohio and major public projects including a $325 million municipal courthouse and a $100 million early childhood learning center. Across it all, Hager emphasized a consistent strategy—strong labor-management communication, aggressive workforce development and expanding union market share through Project Labor Agreements and targeted outreach.
- The Columbus Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council is tracking major union work, from the $28B Intel chip project, to new data centers, power generation and public infrastructure.
- Project Labor Agreements and national agreements remain the backbone of organizing as contractors increase hiring, and area apprenticeship programs see record applications.
- Power demand, grid reliability and “behind-the-meter” generation are shaping the next wave of union construction work tied to AI and data center expansion.
Intel’s $28B Chip Plant Update
Host Ed “Flash” Ferenc opened by asking for the latest on the region’s marquee project: Intel’s massive chip manufacturing build.
Hager said he participates in monthly meetings and other active communication with the project’s general contractor, Bechtel, and Intel labor relations representatives. On a project of this scale—$28 billion—he stressed that schedule discipline depends on constant coordination and problem-solving.
Weather, he noted, is one variable no one can control. A major snow event required extensive on-site snow removal, adding another planning constraint. Even so, he said the project is making steady progress: concrete pours, rebar rising, and equipment is beginning to move into the fab areas.
Key workforce notes from Hager:
- Approximately 1,000 building trades members are working on-site now
- Bechtel plans to ramp up another 600 workers between now and summer
- The total workforce is expected to exceed 1,500
- Intel and Bechtel are holding to a 2031 operational target
Hager also highlighted workforce development wins, including graduates from the region’s Building Futures program being placed on the project.
Union Standards Beyond the Intel Gate
Ferenc pressed on whether the region is using this moment to ensure “every job could be a union job.” Hager’s answer was direct: the Columbus/Central Ohio Building Trades Council is continuing to negotiate Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) as well as national maintenance and national construction agreements on adjacent projects.
He cited Barton Malow’s growing presence in Central Ohio, including work tied to energy infrastructure supporting data centers. A major natural gas project broke ground in October and is moving quickly. Underground work is nearing completion, and vertical construction is expected to start in the next four to six weeks.
The timeline is aggressive, Hager said:
- Some engines could be producing electricity by October
- All 12 engines should be producing electricity by March 2027
For the affiliated building trades members, these schedules translate into sustained demand for skilled labor and coordinated dispatch.
IBEW Local 683 Apprenticeships Surge as Central Ohio Booms
Hager described an apprenticeship environment that is both promising and demanding.
He said IBEW Local 683 received the most apprenticeship applications in its history in 2025. Other Central Ohio locals are also seeing record interest, including:
Hager cautioned that success creates “speed bumps.” He emphasized that entry into the building trades is not like fast-food hiring. Applicants face background checks, drug testing and competitive selection. Processing can take one to two months.
His message to community partners and elected officials was practical: the pipeline is strong, but it must be managed with realistic expectations.
Google Data Center and Southern Ohio Momentum
Hager also reported meeting with Google representatives and Ohio building trades leaders about a newly announced 800-acre Google campus in Scioto County.
He described the project as a major economic development boost for an area that has seen industrial decline. Notably, he said the project faced no local pushback—county commissioners, engineers and residents supported it.
Hager relayed an important messaging point: data center-related power investments can improve grid reliability for surrounding communities. He said Scioto County residents experience “brownouts” during peak summer loads. When major tech companies bring power infrastructure into a region, it can benefit the broader community, not only the new construction site.
Addressing Grid Load With “Behind-the-Meter” Generation
Hager went on to explain how the power conversation follows two tracks.
First, he expects more companies to build on-site or dedicated power generation—including hydrogen or natural gas—to reduce grid strain. He pointed to “behind-the-meter” electricity projects as a likely growth area, creating significant work for mechanical trades.
Second, he argued that data center investment can drive upgrades to transmission and local power delivery, reducing outages and improving reliability.
He also highlighted the ongoing maintenance and retrofit cycle that is often missing from public job counts. While tech companies may cite only a small number of direct jobs created, Hager said the construction and maintenance workforce remains active year-round.
He offered a striking example: members who worked at Meta’s first New Albany campus 12 years ago have remained on site continuously due to ongoing upgrades.
NABTU and Tradeswomen Build Nations Coming to Columbus
Hager also recapped a recent leadership meeting with NABTU (North America’s Building Trades Unions), highlighting federal policy uncertainty and its impact on construction.
He credited President Biden with pro-labor infrastructure investment and noted pension reform funding that helped stabilize some plans with underfunding or unfunded liabilities.
He also said President Trump paused multiple infrastructure initiatives, including offshore wind and the Gateway project, citing funding issues.
A major announcement for Central Ohio: Tradeswomen Build Nations will be held in Columbus in 2028.
Hager said he and the other Ohio State Building Trades leaders have already begun coordination with Experience Columbus and are learning from Houston’s preparations for the 2026 conference.
Hager’s Two Priorities: Treasury and Opportunity
Hager described what he sees as the two core responsibilities of building trades leadership:
- Protect the treasury—because without resources, unions cannot organize, market or enforce standards
- Increase market share—to expand opportunities, wages and benefits so members can retire with dignity
He said Central Ohio’s building trades leadership is aligned and collaborative, even as the region navigates the challenges that come with unprecedented workloads.
Hager estimated that, conservatively, $160 billion in construction dollars are active in Central Ohio as of February 2026.
He also cited recent and pending union public projects:
- A $100 million early childhood learning center downtown
- A $325 million municipal courthouse, built by all union labor. The project will break ground in the summer with completion in 2029
Keep Up with the Construction Boom. Central Ohio is moving fast, and the opportunities for the building trades are growing just as quickly. Subscribe to the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to ensure you never miss an update on Intel, PLAs, or the next wave of major projects. Listen & Subscribe Here
America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.
America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, Alliance for American Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes-IBT, Boyd Watterson, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, Melwood, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of North America, The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers.
