This agreement will protect Nevada workers and ensure Thacker Pass construction is completed by the highest-skilled workers in the safest and most environmentally sound fashion.

Washington, D.C. – August 10, 2023 – North America’s Building Trades Unions announced today that it has signed a project labor agreement (PLA) with Bechtel Construction Company for the Thacker Pass project, which will tap into the largest deposit of lithium in North America.

“The Thacker Pass project is a massive step in the right direction towards bringing this nation closer to energy independence,” said Sean McGarvey, President of NABTU. “This state-of-the-art project will aid in creating a fully domestic supply chain of the critical resources necessary to deploy clean, renewable energy. Additionally, it will provide hundreds of middle-class sustaining union jobs for years to come – jobs that highlight how, from extraction to deployment, the men and women of the building trades are committed to building the energy grid of the future. NABTU applauds GM, Lithium Americas, and Bechtel for their engagement and support of the unionized construction industry and looks forward to growing our strong relationship as we labor to bring these critical minerals to the U.S. to market.”

Ailie MacAdam, President of Bechtel’s Mining & Metals business, said: “This agreement forms an alliance that will be critical to attracting the qualified craft professionals we will need to complete this project safely and with quality. Bechtel has partnered with NABTU on countless construction projects, and we look forward to bringing this new opportunity to northern Nevada’s current and future workforce.”

“We’re pleased to see this Lithium Americas project moving forward with skilled labor,” said Jeff Morrison, GM Vice President, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain. “GM’s future EV production will increasingly draw from domestic resources like the Lithium Americas project, helping to make our supply chain more secure, and today’s agreement will help ensure that it will be built by experienced professionals in the building trades.”

“Thacker Pass will help America reduce its carbon emissions and secure its battery supply chains, so it is only right that this project leverages American Labor,” said Jonathan Evans, CEO of Lithium Americas. “With our Project Labor Agreement, we are pleased to be tapping into the NABTU’s 115-year track record of deploying skilled craftsmen to deliver many of our country’s most complex and vital construction projects. Lithium Americas, Bechtel and NABTU will work together to ensure that Thacker Pass is built safely to benefit all Americans.”

This major agreement will ensure millions of dollars of middle-class wages are injected into northern Nevada and the American economy and that the project will be built by the highest-skilled and highest-trained workforce.

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