Washington, D.C. – North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) President Sean McGarvey has called on the President for assistance in supporting blue-collar construction workers and their families. In a statement issued on July 23, 2025, McGarvey highlighted the challenges facing the construction job market due to project cancellations and policy uncertainties.
“Mr. President, we need your help,” McGarvey stated. He emphasized that while efforts are being made to bring jobs back, certain projects are being canceled, affecting thousands of construction jobs.
McGarvey pointed out several specific instances where job opportunities have been lost:
– The Department of Transportation’s cancellation of funding for a high-speed rail project in California has put 1,500 construction jobs at risk daily.
– Federal funding withdrawal for the $2 billion Allston Multimodal infrastructure project in Massachusetts eliminated 3,000 transportation construction jobs.
– A billion-dollar gas plant cancellation in Tennessee resulted in a loss of 2,000 construction jobs.
– Cancellation of a CHIPS plant in Michigan wiped out 5,000 construction jobs.
– The Department of Energy withdrew support for the $11 billion Grain Belt Express transmission project from Kansas to Indiana, impacting over 22,000 jobs.
– Congress cut energy tax credits threatening hundreds of thousands of next-generation energy construction jobs.
– Prevailing wage rates were rolled back at NASA’s Cape Canaveral affecting Florida’s skilled workers’ wages.
– Labor and immigration rights violations at Arizona TSMC project call for ICE investigation.
“These aren’t isolated incidents,” McGarvey said. He noted that $17 billion worth of energy projects have been canceled this year alone due to policy uncertainty in Washington.
Additional losses include:
– South Carolina energy projects worth approximately $2.8 billion were eliminated.
– Three manufacturing energy plants totaling nearly $3 billion in Georgia were canceled.
– A $1.4 billion battery plant pause in North Carolina jeopardized over 1,000 jobs.
– Four halted projects in Arizona affected over 3,800 construction jobs.
– Seven major New York projects closed or canceled affected numerous skilled trades workers.
“This is just a small sampling,” McGarvey remarked. He urged the President to assist blue-collar workers as these smaller projects could sustain them until larger deals materialize.
North America’s Building Trades Unions represent over three million skilled craft professionals across the United States and Canada. They invest heavily in apprenticeship training and education facilities annually.
For more information about NABTU’s work and mission visit nabtu.org.
