RICHMOND, Va., Dec. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Atlantic Coast
Pipeline, LLC announced today it has signed Project Labor
Agreements with the nation's four leading building and construction
trade unions. The agreements reaffirm the Atlantic Coast Pipeline
project's commitment to hiring skilled union workers for the
pipeline's construction. The agreements were signed with the
Laborers' International Union of North
America (LiUNA), Teamsters National Pipeline (Teamsters),
International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) and the United
Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe
Fitting Industry of the United
States (United Association).
"From day one we've committed to building this project to the
highest standards of quality and safety," said Leslie Hartz, Dominion Energy's Vice President,
Engineering & Construction. "These organizations represent the
most highly-skilled and well-trained professionals in the industry.
They have the training, dedication and experience we need, and
we're proud to have them on board for this historic project," Hartz
concluded.
Commitment to Hiring Local
Under the agreements, the
four trade unions will be responsible for hiring and training the
13,000 construction workers needed to build the pipeline. The
unions have committed to hiring at least half of the construction
workforce through local union membership in West Virginia, Virginia and North
Carolina. Furthermore, the organizations have committed to
hiring at least 25 percent of all new hires – individuals joining
the trade unions for the first time – from the local communities
where the pipeline will be built.
Biggest Job-Creating Infrastructure Project in
Decades
"This is the biggest job-creating infrastructure
project we've seen in our region for many decades," said
Dennis Martire, LiUNA's Vice
President & Mid-Atlantic Regional Manager. "This is a
once-in-a-generation opportunity to rebuild our region's
infrastructure and bring back the middle class jobs that have
disappeared from too many of our communities. Our members live in
these communities, so we have a personal stake in doing this the
right way and with the utmost care for safety and the environment.
We have the skills and the work ethic that it takes to build a
project like this, and we're just grateful for the opportunity to
put those skills to work for our economy and our energy security,"
Martire concluded.
Free Training and Apprenticeships for Local
Residents
In addition to employing thousands of local
tradesmen and craftsmen, the Atlantic Coast Pipeline will provide
opportunities for many local residents to pursue new careers in the
construction industry. The trade unions are offering free local
training and apprenticeship programs so local residents can develop
new skills and gain real-world experience in the industry. After
construction of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline is complete, many will
go on to pursue long-term careers in the building and construction
trades.
Opportunities for Local Veterans
Through their
participation in the 'Helmets to Hardhats' program, the trade
unions will also provide job opportunities to many local veterans.
'Helmets to Hardhats' is a national, nonprofit program that
connects National Guard, Reserve, retired and transitioning
active-duty military service members with skilled training and
quality career opportunities in the construction industry.
"This project is going to be a game changer for working people
in our region, including our veterans," said Matt Yonka, President of the Virginia Building
and Construction Trades Council. "We're talking about thousands of
new jobs for men and women who have spent their careers developing
their craft and contributing to our economy. We're also talking
about hundreds, if not thousands of local residents, including our
veterans, who will have the chance to start a new career and earn a
better livelihood. We're ready to get to work on this project
so we can grow our economy and support our families," Yonka
concluded.
Skilled Crafts and Trades
The four organizations
signing the agreements represent the crafts and trades that will
perform the bulk of mainline construction activity for the Atlantic
Coast Pipeline:
- The laborers who install environmental control devices,
perform ground clearing, coat and install the pipe and restore the
right of way.
- The teamsters who transport personnel, materials and
equipment.
- The operators who operate excavators, bull dozers, pipe
bending and laying machines, cranes, forklifts and other
construction equipment.
- The welders who weld and bend the pipe, install road
bores and perform hydrostatic testing.
About Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLC
Atlantic Coast
Pipeline, LLC is comprised of four major U.S. energy companies –
Dominion Energy, Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas and Southern
Company Gas. The joint venture partners plan to build and own the
Atlantic Coast Pipeline, a proposed 600-mile underground natural
gas transmission pipeline that will help meet the growing energy
needs of public utilities in Virginia and North
Carolina to generate cleaner electricity, heat homes and
power local businesses. For more information about the Atlantic
Coast Pipeline, visit the project's website at
www.atlanticcoastpipeline.com.
About Dominion Energy
Dominion Energy (NYSE: D) is one
of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with
a portfolio of approximately 25,700 megawatts of generation, 15,000
miles of natural gas transmission, gathering and storage pipeline,
and 6,600 miles of electric transmission lines. Dominion Energy
operates one of the nation's largest natural gas storage systems
with 1 trillion cubic feet of storage capacity and serves more than
6 million utility and retail energy customers. For more information
about Dominion Energy, visit the company's website at
www.dominionenergy.com.
About Duke Energy
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) is
one of the largest energy holding companies in the United States. Its Electric Utilities and
Infrastructure business unit serves approximately 7.5 million
customers located in six states in the Southeast and Midwest. The
company's Gas Utilities and Infrastructure business unit
distributes natural gas to approximately 1.6 million customers in
the Carolinas, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. Its Commercial Renewables business
unit operates a growing renewable energy portfolio across
the United States. Duke Energy is
a Fortune 125 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under
the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at
duke-energy.com.
About Piedmont Natural Gas
Piedmont Natural Gas, a
North Carolina corporation, is an
energy services company whose principal business is the
distribution of natural gas to more than a million residential,
commercial, industrial and power generation customers in portions
of North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Piedmont provides a foundation for
establishing a broader strategic natural gas infrastructure
platform within Duke Energy to supplement and complement the
previous natural gas pipeline investments and the natural gas
business located in the Midwest. Duke Energy is a Fortune 125
company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK.
More information about the company is available at
duke-energy.com.
About Southern Company Gas
Southern Company Gas is a
wholly owned subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE:SO),
America's premier energy company. Southern Company Gas serves
approximately 4.6 million natural gas utility customers through its
regulated distribution companies in seven states and more than 1
million retail customers through its companies that market natural
gas and related home services. Other nonutility businesses include
investments in interstate pipelines, asset management for natural
gas wholesale customers and ownership and operation of natural gas
storage facilities. For more information, visit Southern Company
Gas at www.southerncompanygas.com.
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SOURCE Dominion Energy