To every worker on the Pluto Train 2 Project—This is your call to arms.
When Bechtel set up shop on Australian soil, they brought more than just blueprints and bulldozers—they brought a distinctly American way of doing business: profit above all else and the exploitation of workers. With headquarters in Reston, Virginia, and contracts stretching from the Middle East to the Pilbara, Bechtel is known for its size, speed, and no-nonsense management style.
But what works in America won’t translate smoothly in WA.
Australian workers—proud of their hard-won conditions and generations of collective strength—have the power to push back and reclaim what was taken from them in 2021.
Bechtel might be an American giant, but at Pluto Train 2, it will have to deal with something it’s not used to: organised workers who won’t back down.
It’s time to stand together, shoulder to shoulder, and reclaim our power as a workforce. The current project agreement does not reflect the value we bring to this site every day. Wages have stagnated and conditions are slipping. Woodside and Bechtel used the COVID-19 pandemic to drive wages down when the greenfields agreement was made. That ends now. See the Pluto Train 2 Timeline story for the history.
The only way we can renegotiate a stronger agreement—one that delivers real wage increases, better rosters, site conditions, job security and respect on the job—is by building industrial strength through union unity.
Why Join Your Union?
- Collective bargaining power: Employers listen when we speak with one voice. Alone, you’re a worker. Together, we’re a force.
- Support and protection: Your union has your back—on site, at the negotiating table, and when things go wrong.
- Protected Industrial Action: Only union members can take PIA to push our claims forward. If you are not a union member you legally have to work and that makes you strike-breaker (AKA scab, blackleg, bootlicker, blackguard or knobstick).
- Real change: Every hard-won entitlement you enjoy today was fought for by union members. Nothing was ever given—it was organised.
What We’re Fighting For:
- Substantial increases to wages and allowances that reflect the skill and sacrifice involved in FIFO construction work.
- Improved living and working conditions on site, including mental health support, better facilities, and fairer rosters.
- A seat at the table when decisions are made that affect our lives, families, and futures.
Your Role Starts Now
Don’t wait for someone else to step up. Be the reason your workmates have a better future. Join your relevant union today, talk to your crew, and start organising. This is how we win.
AMWU – Join Here
- Mechanical Fitters
- Pipe Fitters
- Boilermaker / Welders
- Trades Assistants
- Sheet Metal Workers
- Laggers
- Dogger
- Riggers
- Scaffolders
- Storeperson
CFMEU – Join Here
- Crain Drivers
- Refractory Tradesperson
- Dogger
- Riggers
- Scaffolders
- Painters and Blasters
- Carpenters
- Form Workers
- Peggie’s
ETU – Join Here
- Electrical Trades Assistant
- Electrician
- Dual Trade Electrician (Inlecs’)
- Communications Tech
- Instrument Tech
- Electronics Tech
- Extra Low Voltage Installer
If you’re not sure which union you belong to, get in touch with your delegate.
Industrial power isn’t given—it’s built. And it starts with you.
Join. Organise. Win.
For the Pluto Train 2 workforce—and for every worker who follows.