Local 449’s Ken Broadbent is a true leader in the region’s labor movement. He has served as business manager for over 20 years, using his voice to advocate for more jobs for Steamfitters in Western Pennsylvania.
Broadbent was recently invited to The Marty Griffin Show on KDKA radio to discuss one of the most hot-button issues in the Pittsburgh trades: data centers.
“It creates jobs, jobs, jobs,” Broadbent told Griffin. “Middle-class-paying jobs where people get health coverage, retirement vehicles, and are trained for free by the building trades locals.”
For example, according to Broadbent, the Homer City data center project in Indiana County has an estimated 1,000 Steamfitters, 1,200 electricians, and more union members from other building trades working to build and maintain the center.
“When they are done, the Steamfitters and electricians do a lot of maintenance to make sure these things keep running, the chips stay cool, there’s electricity going to them, and there are emergency generators in case you lose electricity,” Broadbent said.
Broadbent also appreciates Governor Josh Shapiro for implementing recent safety regulations for data centers, ensuring they generate their own electricity, and use technologies to not draw on water sources in the surrounding communities.
“In 50 years, I’ve never seen a more opportune time for building trades craftsmen than now. It is the place to be,” Broadbent said. “We are teaching people a trade that is going to last them a lifetime.”
Due to these data center opportunities, Local 449 has seen more enrollment in trade courses for high schoolers and a recent influx in apprenticeship applications. For years, the trade unions have offered comprehensive wages, retirement, health insurance, and more benefits, and the rest of the world finally seems to be taking advantage of this.
“I’m fired up all the time about being a Steamfitter, Marty!” Broadbent said.