The North Coast States Carpenters Union has filed a formal complaint with the Pittsburg City Council, alleging that its members were subjected to racist and homophobic slurs during a public meeting concerning the proposed AVAIO Perseus Data Center. The union claims that union workers who supported the project were racially degraded, threatened, and intimidated.
According to the complaint filed Tuesday, Black carpenters reported hearing the N-word and other hateful language. Latino carpenters were accused of betraying their community, and insults included homophobic slurs and accusations that the carpenters were associated with the Ku Klux Klan. Jay Bradshaw, head of the North Coast States Carpenters Union, stated that the incidents went "far beyond passionate disagreement about a development project" and that "Black and Latino working people were racially degraded, intimidated and told to leave a public meeting because they stood up and expressed a different point of view."
The proposed 76-acre data center campus has generated significant opposition from local residents who express concerns about resource consumption, diesel exhaust, and noise pollution. However, the union reported that approximately 25 of its members attended a recent meeting to voice their support for the project, noting the high demand for union carpenters driven by the boom in data center construction nationwide, fueled by the demand for artificial intelligence.
The union alleges that anti-data center protestors became hostile towards union workers expressing support for the project, with the alleged incidents of abuse occurring in an overflow room after the main council chambers were filled. The union requested that the city preserve recordings and evidence from the overflow room. They also called for an increased police presence and protocols to ensure the safety of all attendees during public meetings, suggesting that a failure to do so could violate state civil rights law.
"Project opponents have every right to organize, demonstrate and vigorously criticize the data center," Bradshaw said. "But they do not have the right to use racial hatred and intimidation against union members."
The opposition to the AVAIO Perseus Data Center, which is planned for a former municipal golf course near residential areas and schools, has drawn national attention, including public support from U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Residents like Carmen Magallan, who lives across the street from the proposed site, have expressed deep concern, with some considering moving due to potential impacts from construction, noise, and environmental factors.
The city manager's office acknowledged ongoing community questions regarding data center development. In response to community input, the city decided on August 3 to form an advisory committee to gather resident and stakeholder perspectives on potential future data center projects. The AVAIO Perseus Data Center is expected to have an initial capacity of 99 megawatts and has been described by city leaders as a significant investment in the local economy.