Building trades unions are experiencing record membership growth by partnering with major tech companies to construct the massive data centers and power infrastructure required for the artificial intelligence economy.

Key Points

• North America’s Building Trades Unions reported record membership and apprentice numbers in 2025, driven largely by data center and power plant construction projects.
• Tech giants like Google and OpenAI are investing tens of millions of dollars into union-backed training programs to address the critical shortage of skilled construction labor.
• Unions are actively lobbying against local and state regulations that could impede data center development, often aligning with pro-business interests to secure project approvals.
• Data centers now account for up to 50% of work hours for specific union locals in regions like metropolitan Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
• Union leaders argue that collaborating with tech firms allows them to secure high-paying jobs and influence community development rather than opposing projects that would be built regardless.

Why it Matters

This alliance between organized labor and big tech is reshaping political coalitions, forcing Democrats to navigate tensions between union interests and environmental or community-based opposition. By securing a dominant market share in the AI infrastructure boom, unions are gaining significant economic leverage and political influence at both the state and national levels.