An influx of new construction in Central New York has labor unions looking to expand their ranks.

Among the projects prompting this is Micron’s massive semiconductor plant in the town of Clay, where construction is expected to begin as early as next year.

One local electrical workers union is not only expanding its enrollment, but its facility as well.

Logan Crouch is an apprentice with the international Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 43 in Central New York.

“Whatever interests you,” he said. “For me, it’s always been electrical and building, and right now, the trades are hurting and they need all the help they can get, especially with a lot of big projects coming this way.”

He said he got involved with the union through his high school.

“They always had a close relationship with the IBEW,” he said. “They came down for a bunch of fairs, and I originally got involved just to try it out and see how I liked it. Now years have gone by and I couldn’t be happier.”

Crouch said with Micron’s new semiconductor plant located down the road and other projects underway, it’s an extremely exciting time to be a member of the building trades.

“With Wolfspeed coming not too long ago, in Micron following not too long behind it, there’s really a need for a lot of clean room work, which we never really had in this area. And the demand for more workers is great for the IBEW,” he said.

Alan Marzullo, business manager for IBEW Local 43, said the Wolfspeed plant in Oneida County is a silicone carbide facility which differs from Micron’s semiconductor plant, but for the organizations apprentices, the experience was certainly valuable in gearing up for such a massive project.

“Micron, it’s a different type of chip that’s being built, but, of course, the manufacturing that we’re already doing, building the Wolfspeed project, is helpful for men and women who are learning,” he said.

To meet the needs of all of the new projects, as well as existing demand, the union is expanding.

This August, it starts construction on an 8,700-square-foot addition to the facility where Marzullo said they have already modernized extensively.

Construction is expected to wrap up in March 2024.

“What the space is going to do for us is double the size of our training department,” he said. “With 200 apprentices now, and we would go to a potential 400.”

Crouch said he has a passion for learning the trade.

“It’s the people,” he said. “You meet some of the coolest guys, and some of the smartest. It’s always something new. You never doing the same thing twice.”