Ironworkers union complains locals not hired for wind farm

PHILLIPS BROOK - A New Hampshire-based union is complaining that despite promises to use local people in the construction of the 33-turbine wind farm in Phillips Brook, Utah workers have been brought in to do the ironwork on the project.

Shawn Cleary, business agent for Ironworkers Local 7, said he repeatedly contacted RMT, the Wisconsin-based general contractor for the project, about hiring ironworkers from his union. He said last week he was told the company was hiring workers from Utah for the project.

Cleary estimated about 20 ironworkers will be employed on the project and said his union could have met that demand with all New Hampshire workers. He said there are about 10 ironworkers in Coos County alone.

"It was a great opportunity to put local people to work," he said.

Cleary said the region supported the project on the basis it was going to create jobs for local people.

Coos County Commissioner Paul Grenier said he was "extremely disappointed and disgusted" to learn that Ironworkers Local 7 has been bypassed in hiring for the project. He said the commission was promised as many local people as possible would be used in the construction.

"We basically have been lied to," he said.

RMT spokeswoman Barbara Robins said her company is committed to using local people and services on the project. But she said putting up the towers and attaching the turbines to them is very specialized and technical work that requires people with extra training. She said her company has put together a highly trained team to do such projects. She said the team is not based in Utah but some came to northern New Hampshire from a job site in Utah. She said members of the team come from all over the country and some are permanent employees of RMT.

"It's a highly specialized skill," she said.

Robins said the training requirements are lengthy which makes it hard to bring in new workers given the time constraints to get the project done to meet certain deadlines.

She said RMT has hired local companies and union members to work on the 99-megawatt wind farm.

AB Logging of Lancaster and Hick Logging of Jefferson did the site clearing. Isaacson Structural Steel of Berlin is supplying all the steel for the substation and the electrical switchyard. A.J. Coleman Concrete of Gorham was hired to provide the concrete for the turbine foundations. IBEW union members have also been selected to do electrical work on the project.

The first turbines are scheduled to be delivered in August.