Episode Details

Live from the 2026 NABTU Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C., NABTU President Sean McGarvey joins the America’s Work Force Union Podcast. McGarvey breaks down the landmark NABTU-OpenAI partnership, the record-shattering growth of union apprenticeships, and his urgent call for a bipartisan federal plan to protect workers from AI-driven displacement.

As thousands of building trades leaders descend on the nation’s capital, the mission is clear: ensure the workers who build the future aren't left behind by it.

On today’s episode of the America’s Work Force Union Podcast, host Ed “Flash” Ferenc sits down with Sean McGarvey, President of the North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU), for an unfiltered look at the state of the industry in 2026.

McGarvey discusses the critical intersection of labor and technology, including:

• The OpenAI Partnership: A deep dive into the $500 billion infrastructure commitment and how it places union crafts at the center of the AI revolution.

• A "Rite of Spring" in D.C.: The goals of the 2026 NABTU Legislative Conference and why bipartisan engagement remains the union's strongest tool.

• The Apprenticeship Boom: Why 300,000+ workers are currently in the pipeline and how NABTU added 47,000 net new members in 2025 alone.

• Infrastructure at a Crossroads: A candid look at why projects funded by the CHIPS Act and IRA are stalling—and how the building trades are fighting back in the courts.

• The Missing Federal Plan: Why McGarvey is demanding a long-range, bipartisan strategy to support and transition workers displaced by artificial intelligence.

"The physical work of building, maintaining, and powering AI infrastructure cannot be automated away... but the transition for the broader workforce needs a plan from the government, and it needs it now." — Sean McGarvey

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