Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta announced Wednesday that it is entering a national partnership with North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU), tying the construction of its AI data centers to unionized labor for the first time.
The Washington Examiner reports that the agreement links Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, with NABTU, which represents 3 million construction workers. It marks the first time the company has formalized such a relationship with organized labor on a national scale.
The deal grew out of discussions between NABTU President Sean McGarvey and Meta President Dina Powell McCormick. McGarvey said, “NABTU is proud to partner with Meta. The Future Is For Everyone Fund is exactly the kind of investment communities across America need and will value. We look forward to working together to ensure the future of America is built by the men and women of America—all that’s needed is the workforce planning, industry partnerships, and sustained investment required to connect people with the jobs and family-sustaining careers.”
In a statement provided to Breitbart News, Dina Powell McCormick said, “We are so proud to work with NABTU on this partnership. I have had the privilege of working with President McGarvey since I took on this new role and we are excited to work together on skilled trades. This is an important moment, and these men and women of the skilled trades are building the American infrastructure needed to ensure America’s values lead the AI race globally.”
The Future Is For Everyone Fund is a newly announced billion-dollar Meta initiative aimed at communities where the company owns and operates data centers. The fund connects Meta with local unions, apprenticeship programs and tradespeople who work on the physical construction of its facilities.
Under the agreement, NABTU’s local affiliates will tailor apprenticeship and skills training to the demands of data center construction and maintenance, including high-voltage systems, cooling and fire suppression systems, and secure fiber networks. Meta has committed to treating the construction and expansion of its infrastructure as a long-term partnership with organized labor rather than a short-term arrangement.
Read more at the Washington Examiner here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of AI, free speech, and online censorship.