Port Arthur LNG — What to Expect When You Show Up

Port Arthur LNG is one of the biggest active union job sites in the country right now. Bechtel has the contract, the work is real, and the pay is right — but the first week can be rough if you show up without knowing what to expect. Here is the ground truth from members who have been there. Plan for badging to take three to five days. Background check clears first, then you go through site-specific safety orientation before you touch anything. Do not show up expecting to be on the wrenches day one. Bring enough cash for the first week because you won't see a paycheck that fast. Hotel in the meantime — most UA guys are at the Hampton in Port Arthur, about 18 minutes from the gate. Book it before you fly in. When a new crew mobilizes, everything within 30 miles fills up within 48 hours. Per diem has been consistent at $185/day and clearing on the announced schedule. Bechtel runs a professional operation — they pay what they say they're going to pay. Start times are 6am. Parking at the gate is not an issue. The drive from most hotels is straightforward. The Gulf Coast heat in summer is not a joke — come prepared with proper PPE and hydration discipline from day one, not when the foreman tells you to. The work itself is a legitimate long-duration job. Thirty-six months is the published timeline. UA Pipefitters Local 195 has the primary agreement. If you're on the out-of-work list and this job is dispatching, it is worth the travel. The per diem alone makes the economics work even if the hourly isn't your absolute ceiling rate.