Arizona opinion: Broadband buildout requires good local workforce

Arizona is slated to receive nearly $1 billion in federal funds over the next few years to provide sustainable, future-proof, and affordable high-speed broadband for Arizona residents. That funding has the potential to create thousands of long-term, good-paying jobs. But in order for Arizonans to fully reap the benefits, state officials must prioritize working with internet service providers (ISPs) who are committed to hiring a well-trained, highly qualified local workforce.

Members of CWA’s Broadband Brigade are frontline broadband workers who are working state by state to educate elected officials, policymakers and the public on the need to invest in reliable internet service. Our work helped secure that $65 billion in the IIJA to close our nation’s digital divide. Since then, we have been working with state officials to make sure as much of our nation’s broadband infrastructure as possible is built by experienced union members instead of low-road contractors.

Due to decades of deregulation and weakened labor laws, internet service providers have been outsourcing an increasing share of broadband deployment work to contractors who are often under-trained and unfamiliar with local infrastructure. This cost-cutting technique can result in shoddy work, while risking safety and quality. When a highly trained local workforce is used, it leads to a more effective end result: broadband infrastructure that actually lasts and works as intended for our local communities. It also supports good-paying jobs that Arizonans and their families rely on.

IIJA funding is allocated to states through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. To access the funding, Arizona submitted an initial proposal in December 2023 outlining its proposed broadband buildout, including guidelines on fair labor practices that have been set by the NTIA and provisions that take into account the needs of their communities and their workforce.

In its initial proposal, Arizona outlines some important labor considerations, including supporting union neutrality, but it must go further to ensure a successful buildout. The state owes it to state residents to incorporate additional factors that support labor compliance, like a directly hired workforce and good wages and benefits, into how it evaluates applicants and must increase the weight given to forward-looking labor compliance factors. Arizona also needs to make transparency a priority, especially as the state prepares to put almost a billion dollars towards this buildout and can do this by making applicants’ workforce plans publicly available online.

We provided this feedback directly to Arizona Commerce Authority and local electeds, emphasizing the need for the buildout to create good jobs with a trained local workforce that can effectively navigate these multimillion-dollar projects. Across the country, my fellow Brigade members did the same in their states.

In December, we traveled to Washington, D.C. to speak with senior advisors who are responsible for making sure that broadband money is used the way that President Biden intended. We discussed the progress states have made with their initial proposals, as well as areas for improvement, including commitments to hiring high-road employers that will ensure the buildout is done right while stimulating local economies. The President made it very clear from his first day in office that creating more good union jobs is one of his top priorities, and our nationwide broadband buildout is one area where that’s possible.

I’m proud to have met with the Biden Administration and grateful to have the President’s support ensuring the IIJA funding creates good jobs in Arizona. By inviting us to the White House, President Biden demonstrated his respect for people like us who know what it will take to get the job done right. But there’s more work to be done, and the Arizona Commerce Authority and our state leaders should follow the President’s lead and listen to those of us who know firsthand how to complete this buildout safely and effectively and prioritize good jobs in the process.

In Arizona, that means working with internet service providers that have strong training and safety programs, provide high-quality wages and benefits, and have proactive practices to ensure compliance with state and federal safety, labor, and civil rights laws.

Together, we can ensure a strong statewide buildout, support local economies and give back to the families that keep Arizona up and running.