Ohio state senators unanimously passed the state’s biennial capital budget bill on June 3. Senate Bill 450 includes about $3.7 billion bill, about $500 million less than the capital budget passed in 2024. The previous capital budget contained about $700 million in unused COVID funds. The one-time spend was dubbed the “Super Duper Fund.”
Read MoreThe Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council recently learned that William Obbagy, the former managing editor of both the Cleveland Citizen and the Ohio Labor Citizen passed away. Obbagy, 78, from Lakewood, passed away on Oct. 29, 2024. He was the third managing editor of The Cleveland Citizen, which published its first edition on Jan. 31, 1891.
Read MoreThroughout Ohio, building trades leaders are working to overcome public misconceptions about
data centers and the growing “not in my backyard” (NIMBY) mentality of some Ohio residents. Ohio is home to the sixth-most data centers in the country (232), with 137 located in central Ohio. There is the potential for more data centers to be built in the Buckeye State, creating
thousands of good-paying jobs for building trades members.
A historic manufacturing plant that has sat vacant in Cleveland for four decades is finally set for a new life. The project developers were joined by a broad coalition of public and private stakeholders on June 2 to celebrate the official groundbreaking of the Warner & Swasey redevelopment project. While sitework has been ongoing since winter, the ceremony officially launched construction on the long-awaited adaptive reuse of the historic part of Cleveland’s Midtown neighborhood.
Read MoreIronworkers Local 17 member Brian Poindexter and former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown both won their Democratic primary races on May 5 and will now prepare to face their Republican opponents in the November General Election.
Read MoreThe Cleveland Browns held a groundbreaking ceremony for their new domed stadium project, which will be the largest megaproject in Northeast Ohio. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, numerous politicians, representatives from Haslam Sports Group (HSG), Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam and team front office personnel, coaches and players were on hand for the April 30 ceremonial start to the $2.6 billion construction project.
Read MoreOne of the more unique Cleveland construction projects held a groundbreaking ceremony on April 16. Located on Huron Road, directly across from Rocket Arena, work is officially underway to build the 70,229-square-foot Cosm entertainment venue.
Read MoreIn three regions of Ohio, building trades members will be on the Primary ballot.
Read MoreOn April 1, Jim Sherwood retired as Business Manager/Secretary-Treasurer of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6.
Read MoreThe Greater Cleveland Council of Tradeswomen (GCCT) capped off Women in Construction Week with the largest celebration dinner in the organization’s history.
Read MoreThe number of Americans who are union members increased by slightly more than 400,000 in 2025 compared to the previous year. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ annual union membership report, the number of workers belonging to unions was 14.6 million in 2025, compared to 14.2 million the prior year.
Read MoreCleveland Clinic CEO and President Dr. Tom Mihaljevic provided an update on many of the hospital system’s construction projects during his annual State of the Clinic address. “We will never stop searching for opportunities to sustain our mission,” Mihaljevic said. “Every life deserves access to the best treatments available. Cleveland Clinic will continue to grow across regions, markets and specialties.”
Read MoreDespite a January blast of arctic air and more than a foot of snow in many parts of Ohio, outside construction work carried on for numerous journeymen and apprentices. In the wake of the massive storm that created havoc for a large swath of the U.S., much of Ohio has only recently started to recover from the piles of snow and freezing temperatures that dipped below zero in some areas.
Read MoreAfter a roughly 20-year hiatus, the World of Concrete Operative Plasterers’ and Cement Masons’ International Association Apprenticeship Competition returned, and Cement Masons Local 404 apprentice Jarrison Moore took home the title. Moore, 23, a fourth-year apprentice from Burbank, topped the 16-apprentice field during the competition, held during World of Concrete 2026 in Las Vegas from Jan. 19-23.
Read MorePerry Nuclear - Meta invests in Ohio Nuclear
Once slated to be closed, the Perry Nuclear Power Plant appears to have a bright future after META agreed to buy power from three Vistra-owned nuclear power plants. As part of the agreement, Perry will produce 15 percent more power, all of which will go power Meta’s Ohio datacenter campuses.
Read MoreCuyahoga County Central Services - A positive Ohio Construction Forecast
Groundbreaking on the $890 million Cuyahoga County Central Services Campus project, located in Garfield Heights, is set for the first quarter. Work on the new county jail and Sheriff’s office will be performed under a Project Labor Agreement by affiliated members of the Cleveland Building Trades.
Read MoreLast December, regional building trades leaders from across Ohio spoke to The Labor Citizen and offered their thoughts on how 2025 would unfold within their jurisdiction.
For most, they expressed cautious optimism for the upcoming year, despite many unknown factors – including political and financial. Nearly a year later, The Labor Citizen was able to speak with three of those regional building trades leaders to see how the year actually turned out for their members. In all cases, the outcome was as good, or better than anticipated.
Read MoreWork began last month on the first phase of the $1.6 billion Cleveland Hopkins International Airport renovation project called CLEvolution. All work being performed at Hopkins will take place under a Project Labor Agreement with theCleveland Building and Construction Trades Council. The entire project is expected to create about 1,500 to 1,800 jobs for affiliated Cleveland Building Trades members, according to Dave Wondolowski, CBCTC Secretary/Business Manager.
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