TSMC, Arizona unions reach workplace agreement

Taipei, Dec. 8 (CNA) Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) has reached a deal with union leaders in Arizona, the United States, on a framework for cooperation at the company's factory in Phoenix, according to a joint statement issued Thursday (Taipei time).

The accord, announced between TSMC Arizona, a wholly-owned subsidiary of TSMC, and the Arizona Building and Construction Trades Council (AZBTC), outlines priorities for the construction and tool installation of TSMC's facility in Phoenix, according to the statement.

It covers workplace training and development, workforce safety, channels of communication, and site staffing related to the TSMC Phoenix project, the statement said.

Under the agreement, TSMC Arizona will partner with AZBTC to develop union workforce training programs and curricula, the statement added.

The goal is to build a construction workforce that can support the company in the near and long term, the statement said.

The AZBTC will recruit a sufficient number of skilled workers to fulfill manpower requirements, the statement added.

The agreement also called for a renewed commitment to safety, with TSMC Arizona agreeing to maintain transparency with AZBTC about safety assessments, audits, incident records and improvement plans, according to the statement.

The joint statement said that while TSMC was committed to hiring workers locally, circumstances may require the firm or its vendors to employ foreign workers with specialized experience.

In terms of communication, the two sides will form a committee that will hold meetings quarterly, one of which will be held annually to project future workforce requirements.

The committee will consist of members designed by affiliated trades council unions and those designated by the company and its contractors, the statement said.

The new agreement is the result of months of negotiations between TSMC and the trades council, a coalition of unions with 3,000 local members -- about a quarter of TSMC's total construction workforce, according to a Bloomberg report Thursday.