Electrical Workers See Significant Gains From Data Centers
Don Slaiman of IBEW Local 26 discusses the significant economic benefits data centers provide for blue-collar workers, leading to substantial wage gains and middle-class opportunities. He highlights the union's advocacy at public hearings and the efforts of data center operators to address community concerns regarding water usage, noise, and energy efficiency. The discussion emphasizes the industry's role in creating wealth and skilled jobs.
Don Slaiman, political coordinator for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 26, appeared on 'The Bottom Line' to discuss the national debate surrounding data centers. Slaiman championed data centers as a tremendous opportunity for blue-collar workers to achieve the American dream, citing a New York Times piece and a Georgia Tech study indicating a 5% rise in wages in counties hosting data centers.
Slaiman detailed the IBEW's active role in advocating for data centers at public hearings, encouraging members to speak up in their communities. He highlighted the union's apprenticeship program, which provides significant wage growth from entry-level positions to journeyperson status, offering a better alternative than a college degree. He noted that IBEW membership and work hours have doubled in the last decade due to data center construction, generating substantial intergenerational wealth.
Slaiman praised data center operators like CloudHQ, Equinix, Digital Realty, and Stack Infrastructure, calling them "true partners" who engage with communities and address concerns. He explained how developers have innovated to reduce environmental impact, moving from high to low water usage (likening it to a car radiator filled once) and improving engineering to mitigate sound. He also underscored the industry's energy efficiency, noting that while data storage increased six-fold, energy usage only rose by 6% over a decade as data migrated to the cloud.