America’s Building Trades Unions today announced the signing of a milestone labor agreement with Bechtel Construction Company (Bechtel) for Bechtel’s portion of the work on the proposed new nuclear energy facility at the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Station in Lusby, Maryland. The project is expected to create 4,000 jobs during the peak of construction and another 360 permanent jobs once the facility is operating.
 
The agreement is a modified version of the Building and Construction Trades Department’s National Construction Agreement (NCA) and includes a provision for the establishment of an on-site training center that will ensure a steady supply of the skilled craft workers needed for the construction of such a complex facility.
 
Further, the agreement includes a provision for an on-site labor relations coordinator who shall “provide leadership and maintain harmonious relations among employees, the Unions, the Employers, and the Owners.” The coordinator will also be involved in exploring ways to improve efficiencies and cost effectiveness.
 
The Calvert Cliffs 3 project, owned and operated by UniStar (a joint venture between Constellation Energy and EDF), was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy as one of four projects to enter the final phase that will result in the awarding of a portion of the $18.5 billion in loan guarantees for new nuclear power construction.