Union leaders in Savannah say, contractors aren't hiring enough local workers to build a new power generator plant.

They plan to protest Friday at the Mitsubishi Power facility, which was announced with much fanfare last year.

Officials expect the plant to employ 500 people when it opens next year.

Tony Edgerly of the local Electrical Workers Union says, the company could be hiring more locals for construction work now.

"We do know that they're going to employ a lot of people once it's built," Edgerly says. "But our beef is that that project starts when they stick the first shovel in the ground and, unfortunately, none of our people seem to be getting any of those jobs."

Edgerly doesn't have figures, but strongly objects to the company's claim of two-thirds local employment.

He says, all you have to do is look at the license plates of who's going in and out of the facility.

A Mitsubishi spokesman says, the company left construction details to an Atlanta-based contractor.

Tags: construction, mitsubishi, GPB News, electrical workers union, Tony Edgerly