Tennessee-based Ultium Cells employees unite with United Auto Workers union
In a significant development, around 1,000 workers at Ultium Cells' second battery manufacturing plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee, have unionized, marking a notable victory for the United Auto Workers (UAW) union. This unionization comes more than two months after Local 1112 members at the battery supplier's facility in Lordstown, Ohio, ratified their contract.
The UAW's success at Ultium Cells' Spring Hill plant is particularly noteworthy as it sets a powerful precedent for other battery manufacturing facilities, including Ford Motor Co.'s BlueOval plants in Kentucky and Tennessee. This victory could potentially pave the way for more unionised jobs in the Southern region of the United States.
Tim Smith, Director of UAW Region 8, stated that the union members at Ultium and Volkswagen's Chattanooga, Tennessee, factory are proving that new jobs in the South will be union jobs. Smith's comments come after the UAW won at Volkswagen's Chattanooga factory in April, marking a historic victory for the union in the South.
The ratified contract in Lordstown included wage increases of 30% over the next three years. However, the UAW has not yet specified when the new Spring Hill union members will have a contract, or its demands. The current lead negotiator of the UAW union in the contract negotiations for the new UAW members at the Ultium Cells factory in Spring Hill, Tennessee, is not publicly specified.
It's worth noting that the General Motors Co. and LG Energy Solution joint venture did not interfere with the employees' effort to organize in Spring Hill. Ultium Cells began production at the Spring Hill facility earlier this year, shipping its first battery cells to GM in March.
The UAW states that Ultium Cells has agreed to recognize their union in Spring Hill. This recognition is a crucial step in the unionization process, as it ensures that the workers' collective bargaining rights are protected.
As the negotiations continue, the UAW and Ultium Cells work towards establishing a fair and equitable contract for the Spring Hill workers. The outcome of these negotiations could have far-reaching implications for the automotive industry in the Southern United States.
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