An alliance of national labor unions will provide workers and training for the construction of 2 new reactors at Plant Vogtle near Augusta.

Construction subcontractor Shaw Group will rely on the Building and Construction Trades Department to hire and train the more than 3,000 workers.

The group represents 2 million workers in 13 different unions.

Non-union workers won’t be required to join according to Shaw spokesperson Gentry Brann. She says the union group will simply hire workers from surrounding areas and send them to regional training centers.

"In the nuclear industry specific training is very important. It’s very rigorous and it’s outlined by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission," said Brann. "So we will be working very closely with the Building and Construction Trades Department to make sure that they really are utilizing training that will provide a skilled work force in the community."

The move comes after the Obama Administration extended more than $8 billion in federal loan guarantees to Plant Vogtle. The new reactors there will be the first built in more than 3 decades.

Tags: Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Plant Vogtle, President Barack Obama, federal loan guarantees, Shaw Group, Building and Construction Trades Department, labor unions, unions, Gentry Brann