Talk the TAUC podcast (formerly Construction User 2.0) is brought to you by The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC). Your host, Kirk Westwood, is Director of Marketing for TAUC. Kirk has helped many organizations tell their stories as a photographer, blogger, web-streamer, and consultant.
In each episode, we’ll explore the latest labor trends, industry insights, and important issues in the world of construction. Our guests are industry leaders, subject matter experts, and innovative visionaries discussing how we are building the ‘world of tomorrow.’
TAUC is made up of more than 1,800 contractor companies that utilize union labor for their projects, as well as local contractor associations and vendors in the industrial maintenance and construction fields. TAUC’s mission is to act as an advocate for union contractors and enhance cooperation between all parties to achieve the successful completion of construction projects.
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Talk the TAUC podcast (formerly Construction User 2.0) is brought to you by The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC). Your host, Kirk Westwood, is Director of Marketing for TAUC. Kirk has helped many organizations tell their stories as a photographer, blogger, web-streamer, and consultant.
In each episode, we’ll explore the latest labor trends, industry insights, and important issues in the world of construction. Our guests are industry leaders, subject matter experts, and innovative visionaries discussing how we are building the ‘world of tomorrow.’
TAUC is made up of more than 1,800 contractor companies that utilize union labor for their projects, as well as local contractor associations and vendors in the industrial maintenance and construction fields. TAUC’s mission is to act as an advocate for union contractors and enhance cooperation between all parties to achieve the successful completion of construction projects.
Why is Western Pennsylvania becoming the unexpected center of America's AI revolution?Host Kirk Westwood sits down with Shawn Steffee, Business Agent for Boilermakers Local 154 and seasoned union leader in the energy sector. A Homer City native who became a boilermaker in 2002, Steffee was elected Executive Board Trustee in 2017 and appointed Business Agent in 2018, gaining national recognition for his advocacy of union labor and fossil fuels industry. He believes natural gas and AI infrastructure represent the next industrial revolution for Western Pennsylvania. The conversation covers the devastating impact of coal plant closures, the $10 billion Homer City transformation into an AI-powered natural gas facility, and how union building trades are preparing for massive construction opportunities ahead. Steffee discusses workforce training needs, environmental advantages of natural gas over renewables, and his vision for replicating this model across coal country. "I really don't know a damn thing about AI, but the building trades sure as hell know how to build power plants," Steffee explains. Can this project become the blueprint for saving America's coal communities?Shawn Steffee is a seasoned union leader and advocate for skilled labor in the energy sector. A native of Homer City, Pennsylvania, he began his career as a Boilermaker in 2002, serving in various supervisory roles. In 2017, he was elected as an Executive Board Trustee for Boilermakers Local 154, and in 2018, he was appointed as a Business Agent. Steffee has been instrumental in political advocacy, serving as Chairman of the Local 154 LEAP Committee, and is recognized nationally for his efforts in promoting union labor and the fossil fuels industry.Subscribe now so you don’t miss an episode!
Talk the TAUC podcast is brought to you by The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC). Your host, Kirk Westwood, is Director of Marketing for TAUC. In each episode, we’ll explore the latest labor trends, industry insights, and important issues in the world of construction. Our guests are industry leaders, subject matter experts, and innovative visionaries discussing how we are building the ‘world of tomorrow.’ TAUC is made up of more than 1,800 contractor companies that utilize union labor for their projects, as well as local contractor associations and vendors in the industrial maintenance and construction fields. TAUC’s mission is to act as an advocate for union contractors and enhance cooperation between all parties to achieve the successful completion of construction projects.
Discussion points:
(00:00) How Shawn got his start in the boilermaker trade after manufacturing job loss
(03:25) Growing up in Homer City and witnessing the coal plant's impact on community
(05:39) The devastating ripple effects when Homer City coal plant closed
(08:33) Why Western Pennsylvania is becoming the next Silicon Valley for data centers
(12:04) Safety and environmental advantages of natural gas over coal and renewables
(16:...
Talk the TAUC
Talk the TAUC podcast (formerly Construction User 2.0) is brought to you by The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC). Your host, Kirk Westwood, is Director of Marketing for TAUC. Kirk has helped many organizations tell their stories as a photographer, blogger, web-streamer, and consultant.
In each episode, we’ll explore the latest labor trends, industry insights, and important issues in the world of construction. Our guests are industry leaders, subject matter experts, and innovative visionaries discussing how we are building the ‘world of tomorrow.’
TAUC is made up of more than 1,800 contractor companies that utilize union labor for their projects, as well as local contractor associations and vendors in the industrial maintenance and construction fields. TAUC’s mission is to act as an advocate for union contractors and enhance cooperation between all parties to achieve the successful completion of construction projects.
