Trades Laud Data Centers as Infrastructure of the Future

https://businessjournaldaily.com/building-trades-view-data-centers-as-infrastructure-of-the-future/

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businessjournaldaily.com reports Mahoning Valley building trades leaders say data center construction brings significant union work across nearly every trade with an average of 1700 workers per project and 93 percent of major data center projects nationally using union contractors.
Candidate Steps in It With Trades Over Centers

https://www.wweek.com/news/business/2026/04/12/how-one-candidate-stepped-in-it-with-trade-unions-while-discussing-data-centers/

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wweek.com reports a Democratic candidate for Oregon House District 52 lost a building trades endorsement after taking an anti-data center position illustrating the tension between environmental concerns and union construction jobs in the growing sector.
CyrusOne 634MW Center Gets Go Ahead

https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/cyrusone-gets-go-ahead-for-data-center-in-sangamon-illinois/

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datacenterdynamics.com reports the Sangamon County Board narrowly approved a $500 million CyrusOne data center campus in Waverly Illinois spanning 280 acres with up to 634MW of capacity and backed by local building trades unions over significant community opposition.
Local Keeps Members at Home With Modular Jobs (EW)

https://ibew.org/electrical_worker/tennessee-local-keeping-members-at-home-with-modular-jobs/?ref=ew

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ibew.org reports Nashville Local 429 is staffing a major Modular Power Systems prefabrication facility in Mount Juliet Tennessee where up to 1400 IBEW electricians will build electrical components for data centers and cell towers across the eastern US.
Law Will Require Electrical Utility Worksites to Have AEDs

https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/new-california-law-requires-electrical-utility-worksites-to-have-aeds/

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safetyandhealthmagazine.com covers a new California law requiring automated external defibrillators at electrical utility worksites championed by IBEW members following the death of a utility worker who could not be reached by emergency services in time.
First Referendum Opposing Data Centers Passes

https://thehill.com/policy/technology/5822566-port-washington-data-center-vote/

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thehill.com reports Port Washington Wisconsin voters approved the first anti-data center referendum in the nation requiring public approval before tax incentives are awarded to future projects
Data Center Salaries For Electricians Soar, With Trade-Offs

https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/04/05/us-data-centers-drive-explosion-in-pay-for-electricians-some-as-much-as-260-000/

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cowboystatedaily.com reports data center construction is pushing electrician pay as high as $260,000 in some markets with IBEW locals expecting thousands of new job openings
Local Sees Rise in Women Entering Electrical Trades (Video)

https://nevadasportsnet.com/news/reporters/ibew-local-401-seeing-a-rise-in-women-entering-electrical-trades

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nevadasportsnet.com features IBEW Local 401 organizer Jillian Nahman on the growing number of women entering the electrical trades
Best of the Best: Local Sponsors Lineman's Rodeo (Video)

https://www.click2houston.com/video/houston-life/2026/04/04/the-best-of-the-best-winners-of-the-2026-ibew-local-66-linemans-rodeo/

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click2houston.com covers the winners of the 2026 IBEW Local 66 Lineman's Rodeo where linemen competed in real-world emergency skills challenges
Pres Cooper : Seizing the Moment (EW)

https://ibew.org/electrical_worker/seizing-the-moment/?ref=ew

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ibew.org: International President Cooper calls on locals to seize a once in a generation surge of construction investment across North America topping 2 trillion dollars with over 27000 new workers organized in 2025 alone the best year since 1969.