Powering the AI Revolution: Chris Madello & Jim Snell on Data Centers, Skilled Labor & America’s Future

I can tell you, you know, the conversation.

I mean, so my next, you know, we talk about the workforce, right? And as you're talking and as Jimmy's talking, I'm going on a million different, because, you know, we're going to get into, you know, some of the misconceptions and all that.

Chris, you touched on them a while in the first broadcast several months ago.

But did you learn new stuff every day? So oh you do and and that's why this broadcast is so important, but what's interesting is that These dotted centers are getting built right now.

I'm being sarcastic when I say this either here in China Okay, and I'm what I'm saying is is that this somebody's going to control the technology Okay, it's a fact now.

I think the advantage they have in China is they don't have anybody picketing and we're walking they just do what they want to do and the people got to live with it okay this is america's best greatest country in the world you know our freedom of speech and all that is so important but our common sense also helps as well so having said that uh so and i think we brought that up because there are so many different um situations and that are related to what we're going to talk about but here's an interesting question okay I know why the data centers are important to the UA.

And just to explain to the listener what the UA is, your organization represents, obviously, the steam fitters, sprinkle fitters, plumbers, pipe fitters.

If I'm missing somebody, I know everybody's behind you.

in that in that circle there but um a lot of individuals it represents a lot of jobs but what i love about this conversation is what you guys represent to the data centers in other words what you talk about the train workforce and and the great you know and the jobs that are going to be developed but the security to the end user okay that what you guys can do is build them okay And on time and training the technology, you know, I mean, journeyman, talk about that, because as we talk about what it brings to the table for you guys, I can't help but to think what you guys are bringing to the end user and the security to know that an unlimited manpower that's trained and skilled.

Jimmy, I'll go to you first on that.

Yeah, well, it is certainly nice to be recognized by these developers, right? Listen, if I was a developer, I'd want the best in the business to build these facilities, okay? So, you know, it's not, at least around here, it's not so much a hard sell.

You know, you don't have to twist too many arms of these developers to use UA locals or, you know, Philadelphia or Lehigh Valley building trades.

uh uh unions um you know look uh it it's it's our training that puts us you know right right at the very top of the food chain um and we value that you know our members provide millions of dollars a year they're our own money right we don't rely on government handouts or anything it's our own members who pour money into our training facilities to keep up with the technologies.

And look, right now I'm in the process, we're halfway through it.

Hopefully by the middle of next summer, we'll be finished a close to $20 million renovation of my training center.

And why did Why did I decide to do that? It's to prepare for this wave, like Chris just mentioned, this data center boom.

Look, we had a union meeting last night and I told my membership, and they know this, the name of the game, It's all about power in this country.

Lack of power, really.

So, you know, the power generation tied in with the data center world, it's going to provide significant, significant work.

Really, I think in all corners of the country, especially in all corners of my territory.

you know, and Pennsylvania as a whole.

Now, I'll go back to something you just mentioned, Jay Doc, as far as, you know, look, if it's not going to be built in Pennsylvania or this country, you know, if we're not the leaders, right, it's China.

Everybody knows this, okay? And it was extremely refreshing to see our governor, Josh Shapiro, you know, a couple of years ago, you know, put his, you know, put his stamp on the data center world and said, look, it needs to be built in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania needs to be ground zero, okay, when it comes to building data centers, right? We certainly have the power.

We have the natural gas.

I can tell you, you know, the conversation.

I mean, so my next, you know, we talk about the workforce, right? And as you're talking and as Jimmy's talking, I'm going on a million different, because, you know, we're going to get into, you know, some of the misconceptions and all that.

Chris, you touched on them a while in the first broadcast several months ago.

But did you learn new stuff every day? So oh you do and and that's why this broadcast is so important, but what's interesting is that These dotted centers are getting built right now.

I'm being sarcastic when I say this either here in China Okay, and I'm what I'm saying is is that this somebody's going to control the technology Okay, it's a fact now.

I think the advantage they have in China is they don't have anybody picketing and we're walking they just do what they want to do and the people got to live with it okay this is america's best greatest country in the world you know our freedom of speech and all that is so important but our common sense also helps as well so having said that uh so and i think we brought that up because there are so many different um situations and that are related to what we're going to talk about but here's an interesting question okay I know why the data centers are important to the UA.

And just to explain to the listener what the UA is, your organization represents, obviously, the steam fitters, sprinkle fitters, plumbers, pipe fitters.

If I'm missing somebody, I know everybody's behind you.

in that in that circle there but um a lot of individuals it represents a lot of jobs but what i love about this conversation is what you guys represent to the data centers in other words what you talk about the train workforce and and the great you know and the jobs that are going to be developed but the security to the end user okay that what you guys can do is build them okay And on time and training the technology, you know, I mean, journeyman, talk about that, because as we talk about what it brings to the table for you guys, I can't help but to think what you guys are bringing to the end user and the security to know that an unlimited manpower that's trained and skilled.

Jimmy, I'll go to you first on that.

Yeah, well, it is certainly nice to be recognized by these developers, right? Listen, if I was a developer, I'd want the best in the business to build these facilities, okay? So, you know, it's not, at least around here, it's not so much a hard sell.

You know, you don't have to twist too many arms of these developers to use UA locals or, you know, Philadelphia or Lehigh Valley building trades.

uh uh unions um you know look uh it it's it's our training that puts us you know right right at the very top of the food chain um and we value that you know our members provide millions of dollars a year they're our own money right we don't rely on government handouts or anything it's our own members who pour money into our training facilities to keep up with the technologies.

And look, right now I'm in the process, we're halfway through it.

Hopefully by the middle of next summer, we'll be finished a close to $20 million renovation of my training center.

And why did Why did I decide to do that? It's to prepare for this wave, like Chris just mentioned, this data center boom.

Look, we had a union meeting last night and I told my membership, and they know this, the name of the game, It's all about power in this country.

Lack of power, really.

So, you know, the power generation tied in with the data center world, it's going to provide significant, significant work.

Really, I think in all corners of the country, especially in all corners of my territory.

you know, and Pennsylvania as a whole.

Now, I'll go back to something you just mentioned, Jay Doc, as far as, you know, look, if it's not going to be built in Pennsylvania or this country, you know, if we're not the leaders, right, it's China.

Everybody knows this, okay? And it was extremely refreshing to see our governor, Josh Shapiro, you know, a couple of years ago, you know, put his, you know, put his stamp on the data center world and said, look, it needs to be built in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania needs to be ground zero, okay, when it comes to building data centers, right? We certainly have the power.

We have the natural gas.