ANCHORAGE, Alaska (June 11, 2026) - Glenfarne’s Alaska LNG venture has signed a labor agreement with Alaska union groups that sets out a framework for using Alaska workers as the primary source of construction labor on a project the company says is expected to create 12,000 construction jobs.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed June 11 at the Alaska Laborers Training School in Chugiak by the presidents of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Southcentral Alaska, the Fairbanks Building and Construction Trades Council, the Alaska Petroleum Joint Crafts Council, and 8 Star Alaska, LLC, a subsidiary of Glenfarne Alaska LNG, LLC.
The agreement is aimed at construction and related work on the Alaska LNG Project and provides a path to negotiate Project Labor Agreements for major construction activity tied to the development. According to the announcement, the MOU addresses labor stability, workforce availability, and coordination between the building trades and project contractors during development and construction.
Alaska LNG is described as an 807-mile, 42-inch pipeline that would deliver natural gas from Alaska’s North Slope for in-state use and support production of 20 MTPA of LNG for export. Glenfarne is developing the project in two financially independent phases. Phase One includes the domestic pipeline to deliver natural gas to Alaskans, while Phase Two adds export infrastructure.
The announcement said the project is expected to provide reliable, affordable natural gas for Alaskans, generate revenue for the state, and create up to 1,000 long-term jobs in operations. It also said economic research shows that each direct job in the oil and gas industry supports 15 indirect jobs.
The MOU applies to future project labor agreements tied to Phase One camp construction, camp operations, and logistics, as well as major Phase Two work including LNG export facilities, gas treatment facilities, compressor stations, module installation, transportation logistics, and related site work.
Pipeline installation and construction work - including pipeline right-of-way work, pipe hauling, gravel processing, access roads, pipe storage yards, and mainline pipeline construction - is expected to be covered by a separate project labor agreement that the announcement said is under development with the pipeline construction trades.
The building trades groups involved in the agreement are made up of 18 unions and are affiliated with the Alaska AFL-CIO, which the announcement said represents 50,000 workers. The listed unions are Bricklayers Local 1, Boilermakers Local 502, Cement Masons Local 528, Heat & Frost Insulators Local 7, IBEW Local 1547, Ironworkers Local 751, IUEC Local 19, IUOE Local 302, Alaska District Council of Laborers, Western States Regional Council of Carpenters, Painters (IUPAT) Local 1959, Plumbers & Steamfitters UA Local 375, Plumbers & Steamfitters UA Local 367, Roofers Local 189, Sheet Metal Workers Local 23, Sprinkler Fitters Local 669, Teamster Local 959, and Unite Here Local 878.
Project Labor Agreements have a long history on major Alaska construction efforts, according to the announcement, which pointed to work from the Trans-Alaska Pipeline to port and energy infrastructure. It said PLAs help provide trained construction labor, standardize terms of employment, offer alternative dispute mechanisms, and support access to apprenticeship training.
"One of the most important ways our state will benefit from Alaska LNG is through the creation of thousands of good-paying construction jobs – for Alaska workers", said Bronson Frye, President of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Southcentral Alaska. "Alaska unions are uniquely equipped to handle Alaska LNG’s workforce challenges, including staffing multiple subprojects spanning more than 800 miles and getting the job done in some of the most extreme conditions anywhere in the world.
"Project Labor Agreements are a critical project management tool", said Fairbanks Building and Construction Trades Council President Lake Williams. This MOU ensures that we have a reliable trained union workforce, standardized work rules, predictable labor cost and helps to ensure that the project is delivered on time."
"Alaska workers proudly recall the legacy of building the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and are bringing that same enthusiasm to the construction of Alaska LNG", said Alaska Petroleum Joint Crafts Council President Joey Merrick. "The PLA for Alaska LNG will be designed not just for the construction years, but for the generations of Alaska workers that will tell their children and grandchildren about their work on this once-in-a-lifetime project."
"The support and expertise of Alaska’s committed union workforce will be critical for ensuring the success of Alaska LNG", said Rex Canon, Co-President of 8 Star Alaska. "We are committed to building Alaska LNG with a highly skilled Alaska workforce as the first and primary source of construction labor and ensuring that qualified and competitive Alaska workers have access to the many jobs and opportunities it will create. This agreement demonstrates what is possible when we come together around a positive vision for Alaska’s future."
Glenfarne owns 75% of Alaska LNG, while the State of Alaska, through the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation, owns 25%.
