KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – July 23, 2024 – North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) announced the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) as a founding signer of a landmark RESPECT (Responsible Environment Supporting Positive Equity Culture and Treatment) initiative designed to enhance the work culture and environment at construction sites. The memorandum of understanding will implement NABTU’s RESPECT program on all TVA projects.

The RESPECT framework designed by NABTU is a pilot program for labor-management cooperation to improve job site standards for the industry. RESPECT’s goal is to set an example of what a construction job site can and should be – a clean, safe, respectful, and desirable place of work that embraces employees of all experience levels, backgrounds, and beliefs, including young people, women, people of color, and other historically underrepresented groups. NABTU’s agreement with TVA on this initiative signifies a strong commitment to changing the perception that construction jobs are dirty, dangerous, and undesirable by building a better job site culture and promoting positive values among owners, contractors, and the construction workforce to reduce turnover and improve worker retention.

“It’s not an accident that the first RESPECT pilot program is being signed with TVA,” said Sean McGarvey, NABTU President. “We have longstanding trust and respect with each other from our enduring partnership. As technology and cultures change for the better, human behavior must also change.  This program is about showing respect for each other, especially as our industry changes, especially as more women and underrepresented communities join our workforce. We know this pilot won’t be perfect; there will be things to refine. We are doing this program to raise the bar for the entire industry because skilled workers are professionals, and they should be treated as such. We want the work environments where our building trades members use their skills to build our nation’s infrastructure to promote both physical and mental safety, and there’s no place where there’s not room for improvement.”  

The program will address head-on toxic cultures marked by bullying, harassment, and verbal abuse; equitable safety protocols, including properly fitting PPE and needed accommodations for women; and job site hygiene standards to ensure clean and well-equipped facilities with amenities available to all workers. RESPECT will also provide resources and training to help better recognize and support workers struggling with substance abuse and alcoholism. 

“TVA is proud to be NABTU’s lead partner of the RESPECT program – we share a similar mission of fostering a positive, collaborative work culture,” said TVA President & CEO Jeff Lyash. “This agreement supports our inclusive workplace based on respect and creating conditions where employees are valued, which helps TVA be a place where anyone would want to work.”  

 

 

NABTU President, Sean McGarvey, and TVA President and CEO Jeff Lyash shaking hands at the RESPECT MOU signing ceremony during the TVA Conference.

 

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Media Contacts:

Betsy Barrett, NABTU | bbarrett@nabtu.org | 202-997-3266

Scott Fiedler, TVA | safiedler@tva.gov | 901-414-6964

 

About NABTU: North America’s Building Trades Unions is an alliance of 14 national and international unions in the building and construction industry that collectively represent over 3 million skilled craft professionals in the United States and Canada. Each year, our unions and signatory contractor partners invest almost $2 billion in private-sector money to fund and operate over 1,900 apprenticeship training and education facilities across North America that produce the safest, most highly trained, and productive skilled craft workers found anywhere in the world. NABTU is dedicated to creating economic security and employment opportunities for its construction workers by safeguarding wage and benefits standards, promoting responsible private capital investments, investing in renowned apprenticeship and training, and creating more construction career pathways to the middle class for women, communities of color, native and indigenous people, veterans, and the justice-involved. For more information, please visit nabtu.org.

 

ABOUT TVA: The Tennessee Valley Authority is the nation’s largest public power supplier, delivering energy to 10 million people across seven southeastern states. TVA was established 90 years ago to serve this region and the nation by developing innovative solutions to solve complex challenges. TVA’s unique mission focuses on energy, environmental stewardship, and economic development. With one of the largest, most diverse, and cleanest energy systems – including nuclear, hydro, solar, gas, and advanced technologies – TVA is a leader in our nation’s drive toward a clean energy future.  TVA is a corporate agency of the United States, receiving no taxpayer funding, deriving virtually all of its revenues from sales of electricity. In addition to operating and investing its revenues in its electric system, TVA provides flood control, navigation, and land management for the Tennessee River system, and assists local power companies and state and local governments with economic development and job creation. Learn more at Energy System of the Future.