This study aims (i) to understand the historical background of the success of local labor in the mining area in East Luwu; (ii) to understand the perceptions of local labor in the formation of subjective well-being to increase work productivity; and (iii) forming and explaining the model of developing local labor to be able to compete globally. This research is a study that uses exploratif qualitative methods. Samples of several national and multinational heavy equipment maintenance service companies in East Luwu Regency, South Sulawesi, with 8 informants / participants (local labor). This type of qualitative research is a case study by evaluating or analyzing deeply the issue of empowering local labor. The data analysis technique used in this qualitative research is combined between the Cresswell and the Spradley to analyze the domain and taxonomic analysis models of the interviews. The results of this study indicate that the success of local labor in national companies and MNCs is determined by recruitment, training, career development, fairness in the company and local empowerment. Subjective well-being is obtained through increasing the position of local labor, increasing the ratio of local labor use, and the ability of local workers with global standards. The development of local resources is carried out through the application of low socioeconomic status domains, the domain of chauvinism, and the domain of the availability of structured training or development so that local labor becomes human resources that can compete at the global level. An effective model of empowering local labor can improve subjective well-being and attitudes of chauvinism and encourage the achievement of global competitiveness and performance improvement.