Google Project Maize (Michigan City)
Data center campus in Michigan City, Indiana, originally developed by Phoenix Investors as Project Maize and acquired by Google in April 2026. Operating Engineers Local 150 says the project used out-of-state and non-union contractors; two of its members were arrested at the site and the union said it would file labor-board charges. Laborers Local 81 also protested at the site in 2025 and urged a project labor agreement. In November 2025 the mayor said several local union contractors were working on the site; Operating Engineers Local 150 disputed this, saying out-of-state non-union contractors were used.
Key facts
- Capacity
- Not available
- Estimated cost
- $832,000,000
- Building size
- 400,000 sq ftExisting former factory building being reused
- Construction start
- Not available
- Expected completion
- 2027First building; expansions through 2028 (Baxtel)
- Last verified
- Not yet re-verified
Companies and roles
- Owner
- Developer
- General contractor
Unions
- Laborers Local 81 · Labor dispute or demands · Laborers
- Operating Engineers Local 150 · Labor dispute or demands · Operating engineers (heavy equipment)
Union labor was reported, but no specific union is named in the sources reviewed.
Locals with jurisdiction over this site
Local with jurisdiction over this site (not confirmed on the job)
- Electricians
- Plumbers & pipefitters
- Ironworkers
- Sheet metal & HVAC
- Carpenters
- Boilermakers
- Insulators
- Plasterers & cement masons
- Roofers
- Elevator constructors
- Teamsters (drivers)
Prevailing wages (government minimums)
Minimum hourly pay the U.S. Department of Labor sets for federally funded building work in La Porte County, by trade. It is a floor, not what this project pays: data center jobs often pay above scale, and non-union survey rates can be many years old.
| Trade | Wage /hr | Overtime 1.5× | Double time 2× | Benefits /hr | Total comp /hr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ElectriciansUnion rate · IBEW Local 531 · effective May 31, 2025ELECTRICIAN (LAPORTE AND PORTER COUNTIES)Overtime 1.5× $73.50 · Double time 2× $98.00 · Benefits /hr $32.89 | $49.00 | $73.50 | $98.00 | $32.89 | $81.89 |
| Plumbers & pipefittersUnion rate · Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 210 · effective Jun 1, 2025PLUMBEROvertime 1.5× $74.66 · Double time 2× $99.54 · Benefits /hr $28.56 | $49.77 | $74.66 | $99.54 | $28.56 | $78.33 |
| Plumbers & pipefittersUnion rate · Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 172 · effective Jun 1, 2025PLUMBER, PIPEFITTER, STEAMFITTEROvertime 1.5× $67.40 · Double time 2× $89.86 · Benefits /hr $0.00 | $44.93 | $67.40 | $89.86 | $0.00 | $44.93 |
| IronworkersUnion rate · Iron Workers Local 292 · effective Jun 1, 2025IRONWORKEROvertime 1.5× $59.64 · Double time 2× $79.52 · Benefits /hr $25.00 | $39.76 | $59.64 | $79.52 | $25.00 | $64.76 |
| Sheet metal & HVACUnion rate · Sheet Metal Workers Local 20 · effective Oct 1, 2025SHEET METAL WORKER (LAKE, LAPORTE, AND PORTER COUNTIES)Overtime 1.5× $79.44 · Double time 2× $105.92 · Benefits /hr $31.41 | $52.96 | $79.44 | $105.92 | $31.41 | $84.37 |
| LaborersUnion rate · Laborers Local 81 · effective Jun 1, 2025LABORERS: GROUP 1 BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION LABORERS…Overtime 1.5× $59.84 · Double time 2× $79.78 · Benefits /hr $30.30 | $39.89 | $59.84 | $79.78 | $30.30 | $70.19 |
| Operating engineers (heavy equipment)Union rate · Operating Engineers Local 150 · effective May 1, 2025POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR, HEAVY/HIGHWAY GROUP 4 AIR COMPRESSORS, CONVEYOR (ALL), FIREMA…Overtime 1.5× $70.43 · Double time 2× $93.90 · Benefits /hr $43.40 | $46.95 | $70.43 | $93.90 | $43.40 | $90.35 |
| CarpentersUnion rate · Carpenters Local 765 · effective Jun 1, 2025CARPENTER (LAKE, LAPORTE AND PORTER COUNTIES)Overtime 1.5× $68.87 · Double time 2× $91.82 · Benefits /hr $35.90 | $45.91 | $68.87 | $91.82 | $35.90 | $81.81 |
| BoilermakersUnion rate · Boilermakers Local 374 · effective May 1, 2025BOILERMAKEROvertime 1.5× $64.86 · Double time 2× $86.48 · Benefits /hr $38.17 | $43.24 | $64.86 | $86.48 | $38.17 | $81.41 |
| InsulatorsUnion rate · Heat and Frost Insulators Local 75 · effective Jun 1, 2025ASBESTOS WORKER/HEAT & FROST INSULATOR (REMAINING COUNTIES)Overtime 1.5× $61.80 · Double time 2× $82.40 · Benefits /hr $30.93 | $41.20 | $61.80 | $82.40 | $30.93 | $72.13 |
| PaintersUnion rate · Painters Local 91 · effective Jun 1, 2025PAINTER: BRUSH & ROLLER, DRYWALL TAPING & FINISHING, VINYL/PAPER HANGINGOvertime 1.5× $48.75 · Double time 2× $65.00 · Benefits /hr $19.86 | $32.50 | $48.75 | $65.00 | $19.86 | $52.36 |
| Plasterers & cement masonsUnion rate · Plasterers and Cement Masons Local 438 · effective Jun 1, 2018CEMENT MASON: BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONOvertime 1.5× $54.02 · Double time 2× $72.02 · Benefits /hr $25.40 | $36.01 | $54.02 | $72.02 | $25.40 | $61.41 |
| RoofersUnion rate · Roofers Local 23 · effective Jun 1, 2024ROOFER: COMPOSITION (LA PORTE AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTIES)Overtime 1.5× $51.83 · Double time 2× $69.10 · Benefits /hr $21.04 | $34.55 | $51.83 | $69.10 | $21.04 | $55.59 |
| Elevator constructorsUnion rate · Elevator Constructors Local 44 · effective Jan 1, 2025ELEVATOR MECHANIC (LA PORTE AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTIES) AOvertime 1.5× $93.41 · Double time 2× $124.54 · Benefits /hr $38.44 | $62.27 | $93.41 | $124.54 | $38.44 | $100.71 |
| Teamsters (drivers)Union rate · Teamsters Local 135 · effective Apr 1, 2025TRUCK DRIVER, HEAVY AND HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION: GROUP 2 SINGLE AXLE FUEL AND WATER TRUCKS…Overtime 1.5× $52.11 · Double time 2× $69.48 · Benefits /hr $20.51 | $34.74 | $52.11 | $69.48 | $20.51 | $55.25 |
- Wage:
- the hourly pay in the worker's paycheck, before taxes, at straight time.
- Overtime and double time:
- the wage × 1.5 and × 2. Federal contracts require time and a half after 40 hours a week; when double time applies (for example Sundays, holidays or after 10–12 hours) is set by each union contract.
- Benefits:
- paid by the employer on top of the wage into the worker's health insurance, pension and annuity, and apprenticeship training funds (sometimes vacation and holiday pay). Not in the paycheck.
- Total comp:
- wage + benefits for one straight-time hour.
Journeyman rates only; shift premiums and per diem are not included. Source: Davis-Bacon general wage determinations on SAM.gov.
Apprentices: rates above are for journeymen. Apprentices are usually paid a percentage of the journeyman rate, typically starting around 40–60% and rising about 10 percentage points every 6 months to a year until they reach the full rate. Exact steps vary by trade and local.
- U.S. Department of Labor wage determination IN20260001 (SAM.gov) (opens in a new tab)sam.gov · Government filing
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from these public sources:
- DatacenterDynamics (opens in a new tab)datacenterdynamics.com · News
- LaPorte County Herald-Dispatch (opens in a new tab)lpheralddispatch.com · News
- WNDU (opens in a new tab)wndu.com · News
- ABC57 (opens in a new tab)abc57.com · News
- IBEW inside jurisdiction map (IN) (opens in a new tab)ibew.org · Other
- U.S. Department of Labor wage determination IN20260001 (SAM.gov) (opens in a new tab)sam.gov · Government filing
- Baxtel (tracker) (opens in a new tab)baxtel.com · Other
- La Porte Herald-Dispatch (opens in a new tab)lpheralddispatch.com · News
- ABC57 (opens in a new tab)abc57.com · News
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