In recent weeks, several infrastructure projects have commenced construction in Ohio, which have resulted in a significant uptick in opportunities for tradesmen and women in the state. As the Youngstown Business Journal indicated in a recent article, union halls in the Mahoning Valley have emptied out as projects throughout the region have increased demand for skilled workers. As Rocky DiGennaro, president of the Western Reserve Construction and Building Trades Council, related, “Almost every hall is empty … Building work is really good and most of the crafts are at maximum capacity.”
The Rover Pipeline is among a number of energy projects creating this demand for construction workers – according to the article, members of the Laborers International Local 125 “are working in counties further south on the Rover Pipeline – a 711-mile natural gas liquids transportation line that begins in southeastern Ohio and angles northwest into Michigan. Part of that pipeline moves through Jefferson, Carroll and Stark counties, and demand for pipeline workers is so strong that Local 125 had to field its members to fill the manpower shortages in these areas.”
And these positions represent a small fraction of the positions that the Rover Pipeline is expected to generate. Overall, the project will create as many as 10,000 construction jobs in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, providing good-paying jobs for hardworking tradesmen and women that live along the pipeline route. Further, as these workers spend their paychecks to support their families, local restaurants, grocery stores, and businesses that provide the many goods and services needed on a day-to-day basis will see a similar upswing in commerce.
In this manner, infrastructure projects like the Rover Pipeline not only facilitate access to energy resources – they generate a series of positive economic impacts that benefit virtually every community through which they pass. CEPI looks forward to continuing coverage of construction jobs as well as the many other benefits associated with the development of pipeline infrastructure in the region.