Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Union leaders say data centers are creating sustained construction jobs and larger apprenticeship classes
Summary
IBEW and building trades representatives told Baltimore County officials that large data-center construction in nearby Frederick County has driven union hiring and expanded apprenticeship classes, and urged earlier developer–trades coordination to ensure local hires and prevailing wages.
Rico Alba Carries, business representative for IBEW Local 24, told Baltimore County officials that the data‑center boom has substantially increased union employment and apprenticeship enrollments in Maryland. "We were at 2,000 members... we've grown about 50%, 1,000 new members over the last couple of years," he said, noting roughly 700–800 electricians working on the Frederick project and about 150 in a prefabrication shop.
Carries said the union has doubled recent apprenticeship class sizes — from roughly 100–120 apprentices annually to a 230‑person class in September, with plans to increase to about 275–300 —…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
