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Season 6, Episode 88

Dorsey Hager on Central Ohio’s work outlook and challenges

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Guest Name:


Dorsey Hager

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Columbus/Central Ohio BCTC 

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Dorsey Hager, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Columbus Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss recent economic challenges, ongoing projects and outreach efforts in the construction industry.

Like many areas, the construction industry in Central Ohio faces uncertainty due to recent tariffs and economic shifts. Hager discussed the news that Microsoft paused plans for a $1 billion data center project, while rumors circulate about other potential project delays, including the $2 billion airport terminal project. Hager said these setbacks, UPS facility closures and layoffs have raised concerns about the industry's stability. Hager said the union halls remain busy despite these challenges, but not at the levels seen over the past six months.

Amid the economic turbulence, Hager shared positive news about AMGEN’s expansion plans in Columbus. The pharmaceutical company recently broke ground on a $900 million project to expand its existing facility. This development builds on the success of their initial $350 million investment and is expected to create numerous opportunities for skilled trades workers. Hager said Central Ohio's research facilities and talent pool make it an attractive location for pharmaceutical companies, potentially leading to future industry growth in the region.

The Columbus Central Ohio Building Trades are actively working to diversify their contractor base through targeted outreach efforts. Hager discussed a recent event to educate minority contractors about the benefits of becoming signatory contractors. The initiative seeks to help these businesses grow by providing access to skilled labor pools, health and welfare funds and opportunities to work on major projects. Hager stressed the importance of this outreach, noting that smaller contracting companies need to expand their capabilities to compete for work on large-scale developments in the region.

To hear more about the challenges and opportunities facing the construction industry in Central Ohio, listen to the full episode above with Hager.


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.

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