National and Ohio Building and Constructions Trades Leaders Kick off National "Meeting The Moment" Tour
Intel broke ground on its more than $20 billion project late last year. Honda recently broke ground on its $4.4 billion electric vehicle battery plant, and that’s just the start.
In the next few years, there will be nearly $200 billion worth of projects happening in Ohio that are expected to have a multigenerational impact—not just on the state, but on the country.
Leaders at an event held at the UA Local Union 189 Thursday called Columbus America’s “opportunity city,” and said Ohio is becoming the nation’s capital for upwards mobility.
“Join us in rebuilding America and join us in establishing your place in the middle class,” said Sean McGarvey, the president of the North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU). “Welcome to all these new members that are here today, and the hundreds of thousands that will come from these investments and good strong corporate partners like Intel and Honda's and others mentioned. We look forward to building this together as a team, as a community for the benefit of all in our country.”
The theme of the event was collaboration. To build advanced technology facilities like Intel and Honda, it takes local, state and national support.
“Billions of dollars of infrastructure and construction projects, they don't just fall out of the sky,” said Mike Knisley, secretary-treasurer Ohio State Building and Construction Trades Council. “It takes numerous individuals, groups from state and local elected officials, just like you saw with Mayor Ginther here, economic development owners, community partners, signatory contractors that we can't go to work without, and our labor unions all working in collaboration, you're going to hear that word a lot today, to pull this off.”