Orsted has signed a project labour agreement with the North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) to construct the company’s US offshore wind farms with an American union workforce.
The National Offshore Wind Agreement (NOWA) is a first-of-its-kind in the US.
It sets the bar for working conditions and equity, injects hundreds of millions of dollars in wages into the American economy, creates apprenticeship and career opportunities for communities most impacted by environmental injustice, and ensures projects will be built with the safest and best-trained workers in America, NABTU said.
NOWA is authorised by 15 international union presidents and their local affiliates, and covers all of Orsted’s contractors and subcontractors that will perform offshore wind farm construction from Maine down to Florida.
NABTU president Sean McGarvey said: “The signing of this unprecedented agreement is historic for America’s workers and our energy future.
“NABTU’s highly trained men and women professionals have the best craft skills in the world.
“This partnership will not only expand tens of thousands of career opportunities for them to flourish in the energy transition but also lift up even more people into the middle-class.
“The constant drumbeat of public support for unions being important to maintain and build the middle class helped secure this momentous achievement.
“We commend Orsted, AFL-CIO President Shuler, the Biden Administration and many Congressional leaders for their help and support to make today’s signing a reality and for setting forth a new framework for middle-class job creation in all energy sectors.”
Orsted Offshore North America chief executive David Hardy said: “This historic milestone is a celebration for workers, clean energy and economic opportunity.
“The National Offshore Wind Agreement we signed with NABTU sets the industry standard from the beginning.
“We’re going to build an American offshore wind energy industry with American workers, family-sustaining wages, and robust and equitable training programs to achieve this critical vision.”
NOWA includes diversity targets, local training programmes, and workforce diversity performance monitoring.
It is designed to foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce, while expanding opportunities in offshore wind to frontline communities.
The agreement establishes project-by-project Workforce Equity Committees to prioritise recruiting and retaining people of colour, women, gender-nonconforming people and local environmental justice communities.