Atlantic Coast Pipeline signs Project Labor Agreements with four leading construction trade unions

RICHMOND, Va., Dec. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLC announced today it has signed Project Labor Agreements with the nation's four leading building and construction trade unions. The agreements reaffirm the Atlantic Coast Pipeline project's commitment to hiring skilled union workers for the pipeline's construction. The agreements were signed with the Laborers' International Union of North America (LiUNA), Teamsters National Pipeline (Teamsters), International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) and the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States (United Association).

"From day one we've committed to building this project to the highest standards of quality and safety," said Leslie Hartz, Dominion Energy's Vice President, Engineering & Construction. "These organizations represent the most highly-skilled and well-trained professionals in the industry. They have the training, dedication and experience we need, and we're proud to have them on board for this historic project," Hartz concluded.

Commitment to Hiring Local
Under the agreements, the four trade unions will be responsible for hiring and training the 13,000 construction workers needed to build the pipeline. The unions have committed to hiring at least half of the construction workforce through local union membership in West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina. Furthermore, the organizations have committed to hiring at least 25 percent of all new hires – individuals joining the trade unions for the first time – from the local communities where the pipeline will be built.

Biggest Job-Creating Infrastructure Project in Decades
"This is the biggest job-creating infrastructure project we've seen in our region for many decades," said Dennis Martire, LiUNA's Vice President & Mid-Atlantic Regional Manager. "This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rebuild our region's infrastructure and bring back the middle class jobs that have disappeared from too many of our communities. Our members live in these communities, so we have a personal stake in doing this the right way and with the utmost care for safety and the environment. We have the skills and the work ethic that it takes to build a project like this, and we're just grateful for the opportunity to put those skills to work for our economy and our energy security," Martire concluded.

Free Training and Apprenticeships for Local Residents
In addition to employing thousands of local tradesmen and craftsmen, the Atlantic Coast Pipeline will provide opportunities for many local residents to pursue new careers in the construction industry. The trade unions are offering free local training and apprenticeship programs so local residents can develop new skills and gain real-world experience in the industry. After construction of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline is complete, many will go on to pursue long-term careers in the building and construction trades.

Opportunities for Local Veterans
Through their participation in the 'Helmets to Hardhats' program, the trade unions will also provide job opportunities to many local veterans. 'Helmets to Hardhats' is a national, nonprofit program that connects National Guard, Reserve, retired and transitioning active-duty military service members with skilled training and quality career opportunities in the construction industry.

"This project is going to be a game changer for working people in our region, including our veterans," said Matt Yonka, President of the Virginia Building and Construction Trades Council. "We're talking about thousands of new jobs for men and women who have spent their careers developing their craft and contributing to our economy. We're also talking about hundreds, if not thousands of local residents, including our veterans, who will have the chance to start a new career and earn a better livelihood.  We're ready to get to work on this project so we can grow our economy and support our families," Yonka concluded.

Skilled Crafts and Trades
The four organizations signing the agreements represent the crafts and trades that will perform the bulk of mainline construction activity for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline:

• The laborers who install environmental control devices, perform ground clearing, coat and install the pipe and restore the right of way.
• The teamsters who transport personnel, materials and equipment.
• The operators who operate excavators, bull dozers, pipe bending and laying machines, cranes, forklifts and other construction equipment.
• The welders who weld and bend the pipe, install road bores and perform hydrostatic testing.

About Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLC
Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLC is comprised of four major U.S. energy companies – Dominion Energy, Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas and Southern Company Gas. The joint venture partners plan to build and own the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, a proposed 600-mile underground natural gas transmission pipeline that will help meet the growing energy needs of public utilities in Virginia and North Carolina to generate cleaner electricity, heat homes and power local businesses. For more information about the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, visit the project's website at www.atlanticcoastpipeline.com.

About Dominion Energy
Dominion Energy (NYSE: D) is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of approximately 25,700 megawatts of generation, 15,000 miles of natural gas transmission, gathering and storage pipeline, and 6,600 miles of electric transmission lines. Dominion Energy operates one of the nation's largest natural gas storage systems with 1 trillion cubic feet of storage capacity and serves more than 6 million utility and retail energy customers. For more information about Dominion Energy, visit the company's website at www.dominionenergy.com.

About Duke Energy
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) is one of the largest energy holding companies in the United States. Its Electric Utilities and Infrastructure business unit serves approximately 7.5 million customers located in six states in the Southeast and Midwest. The company's Gas Utilities and Infrastructure business unit distributes natural gas to approximately 1.6 million customers in the Carolinas, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. Its Commercial Renewables business unit operates a growing renewable energy portfolio across the United States. Duke Energy is a Fortune 125 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com.

About Piedmont Natural Gas
Piedmont Natural Gas, a North Carolina corporation, is an energy services company whose principal business is the distribution of natural gas to more than a million residential, commercial, industrial and power generation customers in portions of North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Piedmont provides a foundation for establishing a broader strategic natural gas infrastructure platform within Duke Energy to supplement and complement the previous natural gas pipeline investments and the natural gas business located in the Midwest. Duke Energy is a Fortune 125 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com.

About Southern Company Gas
Southern Company Gas is a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE:SO), America's premier energy company. Southern Company Gas serves approximately 4.6 million natural gas utility customers through its regulated distribution companies in seven states and more than 1 million retail customers through its companies that market natural gas and related home services. Other nonutility businesses include investments in interstate pipelines, asset management for natural gas wholesale customers and ownership and operation of natural gas storage facilities. For more information, visit Southern Company Gas at www.southerncompanygas.com.

SOURCE Dominion Energy