Days after Micron The construction of a $100 billion chip factory in New York State is a fact. A coalition of environmentalists, labor unions and civil rights groups is urging the US tech giant to sign an agreement that will make legally enforceable a series of pledges to be a good neighbor.
Micron's mega-factory that will make memory chips is on track to become the largest commercial development in the state's history and the largest chip manufacturing complex in the country. Officials held a groundbreaking ceremony last Friday in the town of Clay, near Syracuse. The first chips could arrive in five years, although the entire site won't be ready for another 20 years.
Organizers and members of the Central New York United for Community Benefits Coalition — made up of about 25 mostly local advocacy groups — tell WIRED they welcome the project. They also appreciate that Micron has already committed to hiring locally and addressing some of the physical and social impacts of construction. But coalition members believe that oversight is lacking and that Micron could get away with polluting the environment and worsening economic inequality in the region.
“We want to have real, strong, transparent and enforceable obligations,” said Anna Smith, a senior researcher at Jobs to Move America, a union-friendly national nonprofit that is helping organize the coalition.
On Wednesday, the coalition published an email letter to Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra inviting him to meet and begin negotiations on a so-called community benefits agreement, which would codify the company's commitments to hiring, environmental protection and local investments.
Micron did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter.
Companies like Micron are not required to make deals with community groups. But the New York coalition is basing its campaign on similar efforts by other American organizations. Some of them have successfully pushed major construction projects, such as an airport and a bus factory, to sign contracts to invest in schools, build affordable housing, conduct more environmental studies or buy locally. Crucially, these agreements can be enforced through the courts.
Supporters of the agreements say striking deals can help companies neutralize opposition and pave a smoother path for construction, hiring and continued integration into the community. Provisions may include oversight panels and annual public reporting. A database compiled by Columbia Law School shows dozens of employment contracts for major projects from the past decade.
“We have seen such agreements, negotiated by companies with coalitions like ours across the country, become win-win situations, with employers, employees and community organizations working together to ensure the needs of all parties are met,” the New York coalition wrote in the letter to Micron.
It added that a comprehensive agreement will “further fulfill Micron's commitments to be a good neighbor” and ensure that good-faith commitments “translate into concrete, measurable benefits.”
Building more chips in the US is a national security priority, and the Micron project has bipartisan support. But it comes at a time when massive factories and data centers are receiving unprecedented public attention, driven in large part by their significant consumption of water and power.
Amid the setback, some projects have already been abandoned or moved. Organizers of the New York coalition believe the Micron campaign, if it leads to a deal, could be a model for winning concessions even as development progresses. “This project can be done well,” Smith said. “Let's go to the finish together.”
Looking for dedication
Coalition members include environmentalists, the Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter and SustainCNY; racial justice groups Urban Jobs Task Force and the Syracuse chapter of NAACP; and labor organizations, including Local 320 of the IUE-CWA, a union representing factory workers.
They targeted Micron, in part because of the government subsidies the project could ultimately receive – up to $25 billion. The company's pledge to hire 9,000 people has received widespread support, but some in the community remain concerned about the tradeoffs. One point of irritation is that local authorities are evicting a 91-year-old great-grandmother from her home of 60 years to make way for Micron.
