Building Trade Unions Now Threatening to Withhold Support for Anti-Data Center Politicians

Building trade unions are now publicly threatening to withdraw their support from politicians who oppose data centers, according to an internal memo obtained by the Wall Street Journal. The memo, from Steamfitters UA Local 602, a union covering Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia, known as "data center alley," outlines the union's "clear line" between those who support and oppose the data center boom.

The local has been drawing significant contracts from big tech's shell companies, and the union members are concerned about the potential loss of these lucrative jobs. Sidney Bonilla, treasurer and business manager of Local 602, stated that the union is deeply dependent on these jobs. While the building trade unions have historically taken progressive stances in US politics, their recent shift towards supporting data centers may come as a surprise.

However, the unions' recent actions can be attributed to their increasingly short-sighted approach, which has led them to embrace unpopular and reactionary agenda items when opportunities arise. This shift in union politics mirrors a pattern seen in earlier periods of US history, where unions have supported unpopular wars and advocated for policies that ultimately favored corporate interests over social convictions.

Ultimately, the primary motivation behind the union's stance on data centers appears to be financial gain, as the tech industry possesses vast resources.