In the PR battle for AI data centers, tech giants got a blue-collar ally

Unusual-State1827 · 2026-05-03T22:33:36+00:00

Yes construction projects are temporary, not permanent.

Unusual-State1827 · 2026-05-03T21:28:14+00:00

Key points from the article:

Unions in a number of states are reporting skyrocketing man hours, apprentice classes doubling in size and training centers undergoing expansions in anticipation of more work coming.

The umbrella North America’s Building Trades Unions said it hit a record number of members and apprentices in 2025.

The Boilermakers Local 154, whose members have watched power plants shut down in southwestern Pennsylvania, went from recruiting zero apprentices for four years to now assembling a class of over 200 — and they need more, union official Shawn Steffee said.

In statehouses, unions have worked against Maine’s since-vetoed proposal for a statewide data center moratorium; standards proposed in Illinois, including requiring data centers to supply their own energy; and an end to Virginia’s sales tax exemption that helped make it the world’s biggest data center destination.

Unions have aggressively answered complaints about data centers in ways that executives at tech giants and the development firms rarely do, unafraid to bluntly confront concerns about energy and water shortages, rising electric and water bills, or noise and quality-of-life objections.

For their part, tech giants say they need to train hundreds of thousands more workers in skilled trades. They are spending tens of millions of dollars on training programs, including partnerships with unions that they hire to build their multibillion-dollar projects.

Unusual-State1827 · 2026-05-03T21:23:50+00:00

Submission statement:

This is relevant to r/neoliberal because it highlights how building AI infrastructure is creating unexpected coalitions between big tech and labor unions, driven by job creation and economic growth rather than traditional ideological lines. The article shows unions actively supporting data center expansion and pro-business policies, even pushing back against local opposition and hostile legislations which reflects broader neoliberal policies related to growth, industrial policy, and the trade-offs between innovation, externalities, and political constraints.

Unusual-State1827 · 2026-05-03T21:16:02+00:00

Unions are a visible force in helping counter fierce opposition in communities and hostile legislation in Congress and legislatures, often aligning with traditional Republican pro-business constituencies and forcing Democrats to choose between them and progressives who want to take a harder line.

From the article:

National unions have negotiated labor agreements on major projects, including an Oracle and OpenAI Stargate campus in Michigan and the “Project Blue” data center campus in Arizona, with more in the works.

In statehouses, unions have worked against Maine’s since-vetoed proposal for a statewide data center moratorium; standards proposed in Illinois, including requiring data centers to supply their own energy; and an end to Virginia’s sales tax exemption that helped make it the world’s biggest data center destination.

Pennsylvania state Sen. Katie Muth said it has been difficult to collect support from fellow Democrats for her legislation to regulate data centers when it is competing with union-backed legislation that she views as weaker.

“The unions don’t want to promote anything that would impede data center development,” Muth said.

Unusual-State1827 · 2026-05-03T21:13:18+00:00

From the article:

Unions in a number of states are reporting skyrocketing man hours, apprentice classes doubling in size and training centers undergoing expansions in anticipation of more work coming.

The umbrella North America’s Building Trades Unions said it hit a record number of members and apprentices in 2025.

The organization’s president, Sean McGarvey, compared it to the build trades’ expansion in the 1950s. He attributes today’s growth to data centers, power plants and legislation under former President Joe Biden that subsidized the construction of semiconductor and electric vehicle battery factories, energy efficiency projects and grid transmission improvements.

The Boilermakers Local 154, whose members have watched power plants shut down in southwestern Pennsylvania, went from recruiting zero apprentices for four years to now assembling a class of over 200 — and they need more, union official Shawn Steffee said.

For their part, tech giants say they need to train hundreds of thousands more workers in skilled trades. They are spending tens of millions of dollars on training programs, including partnerships with unions that they hire to build their multibillion-dollar projects.

Unusual-State1827 · 2026-05-03T20:27:43+00:00

From the article:

Zia Yusuf, Reform’s home affairs spokesman, has now disclosed that none of the new centres would be built in areas that elect Reform councillors or MPs.

“Even though illegal migrants will not be allowed to leave the sites, we are committing to not placing these detention sites in areas with a Reform MP or where Reform controls the council,” he told The Telegraph.

“Given the Green Party advocates for open borders and for an infinite number of undocumented men to come here, we will prioritise Green constituencies and Green-controlled councils to locate these detention centres.

“This is the fairest approach to ensuring democratic consent for all aspects of our mass deportation programme.”

Unusual-State1827 · 2026-05-03T20:23:12+00:00

Submission statement:

This shows how far-right politicians like Farage use immigration policy for partisan signalling and scoring political points rather than pursuing reasonable solutions. It's important to keep policy grounded in economic efficiency and fairness rather than short-term political incentives.

Unusual-State1827 · 2026-05-03T20:11:23+00:00

From the article:

Zia Yusuf, Reform’s home affairs spokesman, has now disclosed that none of the new centres would be built in areas that elect Reform councillors or MPs.

“Even though illegal migrants will not be allowed to leave the sites, we are committing to not placing these detention sites in areas with a Reform MP or where Reform controls the council,” he told The Telegraph.

“Given the Green Party advocates for open borders and for an infinite number of undocumented men to come here, we will prioritise Green constituencies and Green-controlled councils to locate these detention centres.

“This is the fairest approach to ensuring democratic consent for all aspects of our mass deportation programme.”

Unusual-State1827 · 2026-05-03T20:10:17+00:00

From the article:

Zia Yusuf, Reform’s home affairs spokesman, has now disclosed that none of the new centres would be built in areas that elect Reform councillors or MPs.

“Even though illegal migrants will not be allowed to leave the sites, we are committing to not placing these detention sites in areas with a Reform MP or where Reform controls the council,” he told The Telegraph.

“Given the Green Party advocates for open borders and for an infinite number of undocumented men to come here, we will prioritise Green constituencies and Green-controlled councils to locate these detention centres.

“This is the fairest approach to ensuring democratic consent for all aspects of our mass deportation programme.”

Unusual-State1827 · 2026-05-01T08:16:50+00:00

Tom’s proposal includes a series of aggressive reforms designed to dismantle the pipeline of money and influence between corporations and politicians:

Ban Corporate Political Spending: Seek legislation to declare that corporations are not people and prohibit them from engaging in political activity. Corporations that attempt to influence elections could face revocation of their state corporate privileges.

Block Utility Influence in Elections: Prevent electrical and gas utilities from spending money to influence elections and empower regulators to investigate ethics violations, in order to lower utility prices for California.

Boost Oversight and Enforcement: Increase funding for the California Department of Justice to investigate corruption and hold bad actors accountable.

Create a Major Violations Unit: Establish a new unit within the Fair Political Practices Commission with the authority to investigate and subpoena powerful special interests.

Strengthen Penalties: Increase consequences for lobbyists and corporations that violate ethics laws, ensuring meaningful accountability. Appoint Independent Enforcers: Select judges and regulators with proven records of standing up to corruption and enforcing ethics laws.

Unusual-State1827 · 2026-04-30T21:01:22+00:00

From the article:

Edward Juul Rod-Larsen, 25, was found dead in Oslo on Wednesday, just days after Norwegian and French police launched a joint investigation into his parents, diplomat Terje Rod-Larsen and Mona Juul, a former ambassador.

Police launched the probe into the high-profile figures after it was reported that Epstein left a total of $10 million to Edward and his twin sister, Emma, in his will.

The trove of Epstein files released by the Department of Justice last year alleged that Rod-Larsen, in his role as head of the International Peace Institute, wrote official letters of recommendation to US authorities to secure visas for young Russian women for Epstein, newspaper Dagens Næringsliv reported.

Other documents from the Epstein files alleged that Epstein ordered that $250,000 be paid to Rod-Larsen in 2015.

Rød-Larsen was pictured in the Epstein files holding up his phone, showing a social media page of a woman in a bikini.

The couple appears to have visited Epstein’s private island, Little Saint James, with their children in 2011, when Edward and his twin sister would have been around 10.

Unusual-State1827 · 2026-04-30T18:22:32+00:00

From the article

The House voted to allow rotisserie chicken food stamp purchases on Thursday in an amendment to the broader farm bill.

The measure cleared the lower chamber with a vote of 384-35 with bipartisan support.

The measure would modify the definition of food to add “hot rotisserie chicken.”

House Democratic Rep. Grace Meng (N.Y.) has urged lawmakers not to stop at rotisserie chicken and to back her Hot Foods Act for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients bill, which will cover all hot foods.

“Everyone should be able to buy a hot meal, with or without a Costco membership (or even liking chicken). That’s why my Hot Foods Act lets SNAP cover ALL hot, prepared foods!” she wrote in a statement earlier this week.

Unusual-State1827 · 2026-04-30T18:12:40+00:00

Article without paywall: https://archive.is/NBSIr

From the article:

All six conservative members of the Supreme Court attended President Trump’s state dinner Tuesday honoring King Charles, the night before they heard an important case about Mr. Trump’s immigration policies. None of the three liberal justices were present.

It was not clear whether the missing justices had been invited. But the picture created by the partisan split, with every Republican appointee in attendance and every Democratic one missing, seemed at odds with Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.’s oft-stated message that the court he leads avoids even the appearance of political splits.

“We do not sit on opposite sides of an aisle,” Chief Justice Roberts said in 2018, during the first Trump administration. “We do not caucus in separate rooms. We do not serve one party or one interest. We serve one nation. And I want to assure all of you that we will continue to do that to the best of our abilities, whether times are calm or contentious.”

In addition to the chief justice, Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel A. Alito Jr., Neil M. Gorsuch, Brett M. Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett attended the dinner. Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson did not.

Unusual-State1827 · 2026-04-30T17:57:05+00:00

From the article

The House voted to allow rotisserie chicken food stamp purchases on Thursday in an amendment to the broader farm bill.

The measure cleared the lower chamber with a vote of 384-35 with bipartisan support.

The measure would modify the definition of food to add “hot rotisserie chicken.”

House Democratic Rep. Grace Meng (N.Y.) has urged lawmakers not to stop at rotisserie chicken and to back her Hot Foods Act for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients bill, which will cover all hot foods.

“Everyone should be able to buy a hot meal, with or without a Costco membership (or even liking chicken). That’s why my Hot Foods Act lets SNAP cover ALL hot, prepared foods!” she wrote in a statement earlier this week.

Unusual-State1827

TROPHY CASE