BlackRock partners with NABTU to align construction workers for data centers

The race to build AI infrastructure has a labor problem. Data centers and power facilities are getting funded faster than the construction workforce can keep up, and the companies writing the checks have noticed. BlackRock moved to address that gap on August 10, 2026, when its Global Infrastructure Partners unit, alongside the AI Infrastructure Partnership, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with North America’s Building Trades Unions. The agreement is designed to connect a pipeline of over 3 million skilled trades workers directly to the projects that need them most. What the deal actually says The MOU is non-binding, which means it’s less a contract and more a formal handshake. Both sides commit to sharing early project pipeline details, expanding apprenticeship programs, and coordinating recruitment before shovels hit the ground, rather than scrambling for workers after groundbreaking. The agreement also advocates for responsible contractor standards and project labor agreements, which are pre-negotiated contracts that set wages, benefits, and working conditions for a project before construction begins. NABTU brings considerable infrastructure to the table. The organization op...