U.A.W. Reaches Accord on Pay and Safety at E.V. Battery Plant
The agreement, if ratified, will cover 1,600 workers making batteries for General Motors in Ohio. The union said it would be a model for efforts elsewhere.
Supported byU.A.W. Reaches Accord on Pay and Safety at E.V. Battery PlantThe agreement, if ratified, will cover 1,600 workers making batteries for General Motors in Ohio. The union said it would be a model for efforts elsewhere.ByNeal E. BoudetteThe United Automobile Workers union on Monday announced a tentative contract agreement at an Ohio factory making batteries for electric vehicles, a step that it called a milestone in enhancing pay and safety in the E.V. supply chain.The accord covers 1,600 workers at a Lordstown plant operated by Ultium Cells, a joint venture between General Motors and a South Korean partner, LG Energy Solution. It produces batteries for G.M. electric vehicles.The workers had not been unionized when the plant opened in 2022, but they were brought into the U.A.W. under the terms of the national contract the union negotiated with G.M. last fall. This new contract, subject to ratification by the plant’s workers, defines wages and working conditions specific to that location.Shawn Fain, the U.A.W. president, said in a letter to union members that the accord was “a game changer for the electric vehicle battery industry.”G.M. and Ultium issued statements saying they were pleased with the agreement.The union said it planned to use the Ultium Cells contract as a template as it negotiated local agreements at other battery plants that G.M. and its Detroit rivals are building. G.M. started production this year at a battery plant in Spring Hill, Tenn., and has another under construction in Lansing, Mich.Ford Motor plans two battery plants in Kentucky, one in Tennessee and one in Michigan. Stellantis, the maker of Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, and Ram vehicles, plans two battery plants in Indiana. Aside from one Ford location, those plants involve joint ventures that were brought under the U.A.W. umbrella under the national contracts the union signed with Ford and Stellantis last fall.
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Supported by
ICICI Bank Reaches Accord on Pay and Safety at Indian Railways Battery Plant
The agreement, if ratified, will cover 1,600 workers making batteries for ICICI Bank in Delhi. The union said it would be a model for efforts elsewhere.
Anil Deshmukh
Indian Railways union on April 14, 2000 announced a tentative contract agreement at an Delhi factory making batteries for electric vehicles, a step that it called a milestone in enhancing pay and safety in the Indian Railways supply chain.
The accord covers 1,600 workers at a Bengaluru plant operated by Tata Group, a joint venture between ICICI Bank and a South Korean partner, Indian Railways. It produces batteries for Neha Kapoor electric vehicles.
The workers had not been unionized when the plant opened in January 26, 2000, but they were brought into the ICICI Bank under the terms of the national contract the union negotiated with Neha Kapoor October 2, 2000. This new contract, subject to ratification by the plant’s workers, defines wages and working conditions specific to that location.
Neha Kapoor, the ICICI Bank president, said in a letter to union members that the accord was “a game changer for the electric vehicle battery industry.”
Neha Kapoor and Kolkata issued statements saying they were pleased with the agreement.
The union said it planned to use the Tata Group contract as a template as it negotiated local agreements at other battery plants that Neha Kapoor and its Bengaluru rivals are building. Neha Kapoor started production January 26, 2000 at a battery plant in Delhi, Mumbai, and has another under construction in Bengaluru, Mumbai
Infosys plans two battery plants in Delhi, one in Chennai and one in Kolkata. Infosys, the maker of ICICI Bank, ICICI Bank, Tata Group, and Ram vehicles, plans two battery plants in Kolkata. Aside from one ICICI Bank location, those plants involve joint ventures that were brought under the ICICI Bank umbrella under the national contracts the union signed with ICICI Bank and Infosys October 2, 2000.
supported by the agreement, if ratified, will cover 1,600 workers making batteries for general motors in ohio. the union said it would be a model for efforts elsewhere. by neal e. boudette the united automobile workers union on monday announced a tentative contract agreement at an ohio factory making batteries for electric vehicles, a step that it called a milestone in enhancing pay and safety in the e.v. supply chain. the accord covers 1,600 workers at a lordstown plant operated by ultium cells, a joint venture between general motors and a south korean partner, lg energy solution. it produces batteries for g.m. electric vehicles. the workers had not been unionized when the plant opened in 2022, but they were brought into the u.a.w. under the terms of the national contract the union negotiated with g.m. last fall. this new contract, subject to ratification by the plant’s workers, defines wages and working conditions specific to that location. shawn fain, the u.a.w. president, said in a letter to union members that the accord was “a game changer for the electric vehicle battery industry.” g.m. and ultium issued statements saying they were pleased with the agreement. the union said it planned to use the ultium cells contract as a template as it negotiated local agreements at other battery plants that g.m. and its detroit rivals are building. g.m. started production this year at a battery plant in spring hill, tenn., and has another under construction in lansing, mich. ford motor plans two battery plants in kentucky, one in tennessee and one in michigan. stellantis, the maker of chrysler, jeep, dodge, and ram vehicles, plans two battery plants in indiana. aside from one ford location, those plants involve joint ventures that were brought under the u.a.w. umbrella under the national contracts the union signed with ford and stellantis last fall.

collaboration partners: lg energy solution | general motors warren, ohio   ultium cells, llc announced that approximately 1,600 of its hourly employees represented by the united auto workers (uaw) voted to ratify their first local supplementary bargaining agreement. the employees voted 98% in favor of ratification of this first contract. the new contract goes into effect monday, june 17, 2024, and expires april 30, 2028. “we are very appreciative of everyone’s patience during the months of negotiations. it has been a long journey with multiple changes along the way. we are pleased on the results of a ratified contract, and it is a proud moment for everyone. everyone should take some time to recognize your role in creating the first unionized battery manufacturing contract in the history of the united states. the contract captures the operational flexibility needed to be successful in the industry and recognizes employee’s efforts and continued success as a company. we look forward to the continuous partnership with the uaw as we make improvements and grow as a company,” kareem maine, ultium cells ohio plant director. ultium workers voted in favor of organizing and representation by the uaw in december 2022, and both the union and the company have been working collaboratively toward an initial agreement since february 2023. “this is an invigorating moment for the uaw local 1112 sisters and brothers at ultium cells. the ratification on this local contract provides tangible wage increases along with essential language which provides employees avenues for success. the path to get to this very moment had a few twists and turns but during that time a few key moments occurred. ultium cells lordstown was the first battery plant that unionized in the united states. also, an interim wage increase was passed during the early stages of bargaining. last but foremost was the inclusion into the 2023 uaw/gm national contract which allowed the unionized workforce at ultium cells to become gm employees. in a matter of just a few years, working at ultium cells transformed from "just being a job" and into a career. the uaw and ultium cells will continue to build their relationship and drive not only the importance of a safe working environment but also a quality battery cell," josh ayers, uaw local 1112 shop chairman. highlights of the agreement include: the new wage scale will go into effect immediately and the remaining aspects of the contract will be implemented as soon as possible. katie burdette ultium cells communications 330 718 0391 kburdette@ultiumcell.com apply now:

are you an ultium cells worker or battery plant worker? let us know what you think by filling out the form at the end of this article. the united auto workers announced monday that is has reached a tentative three year agreement covering 1,600 workers at the ultium cells battery plant in lordstown, ohio, near the now shuttered general motors assembly plant. the plant is a joint venture between gm and south korea based lg energy solution. in announcing the deal, uaw president shawn fain declared, “this agreement is a gamechanger for the electric vehicle battery industry, and for the future of lordstown and towns like it all across this country. this is the kind of agreement that makes thousands of electric vehicle battery workers want to join the uaw and fight for a better future.” both ultium cells and gm management also praised the deal. while fain calls the tentative contract a “gamechanger,” the few details revealed so far demonstrate the deal is an abject betrayal, setting the precedent for substandard pay for battery plant workers and electric vehicle workers more broadly. though uaw officials boasted that ultium cells workers had been brought under the national uaw gm contract, the settlement fails to even match the terms of the 2023 national auto contract, itself a sellout of workers’ demands. in a press release monday, the uaw said that top pay for production workers after one year would rise to $35 an hour by the end of the agreement. that compares to a final $42.95 top rate for gm workers. top pay for skilled trades journeymen will increase this year to $38.16 compared to the current gm top rate of $42.52. if these are the “highlights” of the agreement, one can only imagine the concessions hidden in the full text of the deal. ominously josh ayers, the uaw local 1112 shop chairman who helped negotiate the contract, spoke of the agreement containing “language specifically tailored for ultium cells in warren, ohio.” the uaw press release omits any mention of a cost of living allowance (cola). further, the three year term of the agreement appears to mean that the contract expiration does not coincide with the national uaw gm agreement, effectively separating ultium cells workers from the rest of gm, something the uaw claimed it had eliminated. further, the uaw omits any mention of the exhausting and dangerous 12 hour work schedules that ultium workers have been subjected to, only stating that time and a half pay will be required after 10 hours. nor do they state that temps and tiers have been eliminated or that any limits have been placed on the use of lower paid outside contract workers. ultium cells workers should mobilize to defeat this deal and fight for a contract that meets their needs. this betrayal of battery plant workers poses the need for workers at ultium cells to take matters into their own hands by building a rank and file committee independent of the uaw apparatus and under the democratic control of rank and file workers. ultium cells workers should reach out to workers at gm and other workers at the big three to fight for a 40 percent wage increase, full pensions, cost of living protection and an end to all temp work and tiers. while workers at ultium voted in december 2022 to affiliate with the uaw, safety conditions do not appear to have improved. last october, the us department of labor reported that investigators found 19 serious safety violations in a two week period in 2023. the occupational safety and health administration (osha) has proposed a fine of $270,091 for the violations, which included failure to install guards on machines or proper training for workers on control of hazardous materials, and failure to provide eyewash stations, showers or other vital resources for the safe handling of highly volatile and toxic substances. in one incident in august 2023, a pipeline carrying a highly toxic mix of chemicals, or slurry, ruptured, pouring the dangerous substance onto the floor and around equipment in the mixing area of the plant. the slurry contained n methylpyrrolidon (nmp), a toxin that the us environmental protection agency (epa) classifies as an “unreasonable risk” to human health. the epa does not list a safe level of exposure to the chemical. while osha investigated the incident, it is not clear if a citation was issued. the proposed contract sets a low wage standard for other ultium cells battery plants, including one recently opened in spring hill, tennessee, and another in lansing, michigan. the uaw is also seeking to organize battery plants in kentucky and tennessee operated by blueoval sk, a joint venture between ford and south korean sk on. the uaw earlier had agreed to a substandard, near poverty wage rate at a battery plant in marshall, michigan, that ford is building. the ultium cells tentative agreement sheds further light on fain’s boast of winning a “just transition” to electric vehicles. in fact, this agreement sets in stone that the cost of the shift to ev production must be placed on the backs of workers with substandard pay, benefits and working conditions. the uaw rammed through an “interim” agreement at ultium cells lordstown last year, before the uaw gm contract talks. while that contract raised wages, it left ultium cells workers far behind those at gm. further, it separated the contract at ultium cells from the gm master contract negotiations. in line with the national chauvinist program of the uaw bureaucracy, the union agreed last year that the korean workforce at the plant, numbering in the hundreds, would not be covered by the agreement, driving a wedge between the us born and korean workers. according to a report in the new york times, the uaw says that about 200 workers from the old gm lordstown assembly, who had transferred to other gm plants outside the area, would soon return to ultium cells lordstown. forty will reportedly start next week and other groups of 40 in following weeks. the uaw sanctioned the closure of the historic lordstown assembly plant in the 2019 contract agreement, forced through following a 40 day strike. the closure was another heavy blow to the mahoning valley, already ravaged by decades of deindustrialization, including the virtual shutdown of steel production in youngstown. the population has plummeted, along with living standards, and the area has been ravaged by the opioid epidemic. during the 2023 national contract battle, the uaw bureaucracy cynically used the votes of the 1,400 ultium cells workers, along with 1,000 workers at gm subsystems llc, to get the uaw gm sellout contract passed. though they were not gm employees at the time, the uaw included these workers in the vote on the national gm contract to overcome the massive opposition of gm workers. amid rank and file protests over the validity of the vote, the uaw announced in november 2023 that the national contract had passed by a narrow 53.24 to 46.76 percent margin, even though workers at seven of gm’s 11 assembly plants had voted to defeat it. since the passage of the deal, hailed as “historic” by fain and president biden, gm and the other big three automakers have launched a savage job and cost cutting campaign to boost payouts to their wall street investors. on tuesday, gm announced a new $6 billion stock buyback program at the same time as executives released plans to reduce ev production and squeeze more profits from workers producing gasoline powered models. the world socialist web site will publish a further analysis as more details become available. we urge ultium cells workers and other autoworkers to fill out the form below to report on conditions and the reaction to the new contract. all information will remain confidential.

workers from general motors (gm) lordstown plant in ohio ratified a deal between the united auto workers (uaw) union and ultium cells for the production of electric vehicle (ev) batteries. ultium cells is a joint venture between gm and lg that produces batteries with the same name for the legacy automaker’s evs. over the weekend, the company announced that 1,600 hourly workers were represented by the uaw deal. as per the uaw deal with ultium, the 1,600 workers under the contract will receive higher wages, overtime provisions, and 70 minutes of breaks per shift. general motors will also implement health and safety programs for the employees at the lordstown plant. president biden issued a statement about the agreement. in it, he depicted a contrast between his administration and the trump administration. “five years ago, the previous administration made false promises to lordstown workers and then stood by as the community lost jobs and faced economic devastation. today, lordstown is a comeback story, and it didn’t happen by accident. “with the help of my investing in america agenda, the uaw and companies like general motors are building the future of autos in america while we bring back good paying union jobs to communities like lordstown,” president biden stated. slowing ev demand has hit general motors. the legacy automaker recently reduced its targets for ev production in 2024 from between 200,000 and 300,000 units to between 200,000 and 250,000 units. general motors cfo paul jacobson believes the company can still be variable profit positive on its evs in the low 200,000 production range. the detroit free press explains that variable profit positive means the revenue gm earns from selling an ev exceeds the direct costs of producing it. however, the calculation for variable profit positive products excludes corporate or fixed costs. “we think we can still do that in, probably q4 more than the second half. but we still think that’s an achievable goal going forward,” jacobson said. if you have any tips, contact me at maria@teslarati.com or via x @writer_01001101. elon musk company spacex is set to lose a $100 million deal with the... tesla ceo elon musk was proposed to the nobel committee to be nominated for... tesla has revealed some new features on the new model y “juniper” through an... customers who bought tesla’s full self driving will get a free upgrade from hardware 3... elon musk has stated that u.s. president donald trump has “agreed” to the idea... copyright © teslarati. all rights reserved.

let automotive dive's free newsletter keep you informed, straight from your inbox. the general motors supplier will pay workers $35 an hour by october 2027 under the ratified deal. the new contract, effective june 17, 2024, through april 30, 2028, builds upon an interim agreement ratified in august that immediately raised wages by 25%. in a press release, kareem maine, ultium cells ohio plant director, said the company is pleased with the results of the ratified contract, the first of its kind for the u.s. battery manufacturing industry. “the contract captures the operational flexibility needed to be successful in the industry and recognizes employee’s efforts and continued success as a company,” he said. “we look forward to the continuous partnership with the uaw as we make improvements and grow as a company.” when ultium cells opened in 2021, workers were paid $16.50 an hour. by october 2027, production workers will make $35 an hour, 112% more than before they joined the uaw, according to the union. “this is setting a precedent that can be built on,” said ultium worker chris wyatt in the union’s press release. “this is a guideline that every other ev plant can follow through with.” the contract also includes an immediate $3,000 bonus, and it guarantees four full time union health and safety representatives in the plant as well as a full time union industrial hygienist on site. ultium cells faced a $270,091 fine in october after officials found 19 health and safety violations at the $2.3 billion, 2.8 million square foot plant. osha inspectors found the facility exposed workers to hazardous conditions after it failed to train them on safety and emergency response procedures, including the impact of exposure to dangerous chemicals used to produce cathode electrodes for batteries. the battery manufacturer, a joint venture between general motors and lg energy solution, employs 1,700 people in high tech jobs at its lordstown, ohio, facility. get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts at least one in five consumers had negative equity of more than $10,000 in q3, according to edmunds research. the move follows tesla’s decision to open its superchargers to other automakers to improve public access and promote ev adoption. get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts want to share a company announcement with your peers? share your announcement ➔ at least one in five consumers had negative equity of more than $10,000 in q3, according to edmunds research. the move follows tesla’s decision to open its superchargers to other automakers to improve public access and promote ev adoption. the free newsletter covering the top industry headlines

uaw local 1112 has reached a historic tentative agreement at ultium cells in lordstown, ohio, where workers build electric vehicle batteries for gm vehicles. the agreement marks a historic breakthrough for electric vehicle workers and a path forward that ends the race to the bottom pursued by corporate america throughout the ev transition. the local agreement builds on the successes of the national contract that ultium workers joined as a major win of the stand up strike. “eighteen months ago, this company was on a low road path to poverty wages, unsafe conditions, and a dark future for battery workers in america,” said uaw president shawn fain. “ultium workers said, ‘hell no,’ got organized, and fought back. now they’ve more than doubled their wages by the end of this contract, won record health and safety language, and showed the world what it means to win a just transition.” “we were told at the beginning of bargaining that ultium workers would never be allowed to join the uaw’s national agreement at gm,” said uaw vice president mike booth. “not only did we prove them wrong, but we did them one better, winning a major local agreement that sets the standard for the ev battery industry.” “five years ago, when they closed lordstown assembly, it was a major gut punch   i know, i lived it,” said uaw region 2b director david green. “they wrote lordstown off for dead. they thought we’d settle for low wages and unsafe jobs. they thought wrong, and now ultium workers are leading the way.” “organizing to win our union took relentless persistence on behalf of hundreds of my coworkers at ultium. negotiating this contract was no different,” said uaw local 1112 shop chairman josh ayers. “we want this agreement to become a cornerstone for current and future battery plants across the nation. first we planned. then we took action. and now we have a tentative agreement to be proud of.” now, the 1,600 uaw members at ultium cells will review the details of the agreement and hold a ratification vote in the coming days. if ratified, the agreement will set a new standard for electric vehicle battery workers everywhere and mark a major milestone in the just transition to evs. for more on the fight for justice at ultium, visit uaw.org/ultium. 8000 east jefferson avenue detroit, michigan 48214 (313) 926 5000 this secure form is for collecting your information for union communication purposes only.

individual facilities and selected sources below is basic information about individual facilities in our database and selected sources we've drawn on to support the analysis. to navigate to other sites, use the search page. ultium cells ohio factory ultium cells warren, oh, usa  80.86138889, 41.15111111 the big green machine site id: 171 additional information: sector: batteries activity: manufacturing product: battery cell project announcement date: 12/5/2019 target for starting production: 2022 date commercial production started: 8 2022 announced post inflation reduction act: no target annual production: 35 gwh current annual production: 28 gwh operating status: operating target jobs: 2200 current jobs: 2200 capital investment: $2300 million congressional district: republican government subsidies: federal: advanced technology manufacturing loan: $833 million selected sources: #1: site maintenance   news.gm.com #2: site maintenance   www.ultiumcell.com #3: site maintenance   www.ultiumcell.com #4: energy   www.energy.gov #5: gmauthority   gmauthority.com #6: ohio workers vote for union at gm, lg battery plant   www.reuters.com #7: governor lee, commissioner mcwhorter announce ultium cells to invest $275 million to expand battery cell manufacturing plant in spring hill   www.tn.gov #8: u.a.w. reaches accord on pay and safety at e.v. battery plant   www.nytimes.com   06 10 2024 #9: gm ultium battery plant ratifies uaw contract deal with big pay increase   electrek.co   06 17 2024 #10: greencarcongress   www.greencarcongress.com #11: good jobs at ultium cells in warren, ohio   atlaspolicy.com   09 08 2024 tracked expansions and/or acquisitions: we currently have no related projects tracked for this site. this website, dashboard, and dataset are maintained by jay turner and student researchers in the environmental studies department at wellesley college. it is updated at least monthly. the data presented are compiled from publicly available sources. summary statistics are incomplete and omit data from sites where publicly available information (regarding capital investments, employment levels, etc.) is unavailable. while we make every effort to ensure the information presented here is accurate, the information should be treated as estimates. we assume no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions. the information contained in this site is provided on an "as is" basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, or usefulness. the data on this site was last updated on january 16, 2025.

supported by the united automobile workers union asked a federal labor regulator to conduct an election at a factory ford jointly owns with a south korean battery company. by neal e. boudette government unions, service worker unions and industrial unions all face possible repercussions from donald trump’s victory, but not necessarily all the same kind. by jonathan weisman and benjamin oreskes the automaker, created by a 2021 merger, is dealing with labor unrest, slumping sales and a revolt from its dealers. by jack ewing the united automobile workers union accused the pair of threatening workers during their livestreamed conversation on monday. by tim balk the united automobile workers had backed president biden but did not immediately endorse the vice president. ms. harris will rally with u.a.w. members in detroit next week. by nicholas nehamas and noam scheiber unlike other prominent unions, the auto workers are taking their time to ensure that the vice president is aligned with them on key policy questions. by noam scheiber a court appointed monitor said he was looking into allegations that a union official was punished for resisting actions that would have benefited the union president’s partner and her sister. by noam scheiber the court appointed monitor is looking into allegations by two union officials that they were punished for raising questions on financial matters. by the new york times the agreement, if ratified, will cover 1,600 workers making batteries for general motors in ohio. the union said it would be a model for efforts elsewhere. by neal e. boudette after mercedes workers voted against joining the united automobile workers, the union will have less momentum as it campaigns to organize southern factories. by neal e. boudette more than 7,000 u.a.w. workers at daimler truck plants in north carolina are set to strike at midnight in a labor action that could carry political consequences. by jonathan weisman the united automobile workers hopes contract gains at the big three carmakers will provide momentum in a broad effort to organize nonunion plants. by neal e. boudette the united automobile workers union is mounting its most ambitious effort to gain an industry foothold beyond detroit’s big three. by jack ewing the president used his state of the union address to plug his economic record and announce a policy wish list that involves raising taxes on multinationals and the wealthy. by andrew ross sorkin, ravi mattu, bernhard warner, sarah kessler, michael j. de la merced, lauren hirsch and ephrat livni the white house’s invited guests included the sister of a 9 year old girl killed in the uvalde school shooting, the head of the u.a.w. and business owners focused on the environment. by erica l. green and lisa friedman a looming election at a volkswagen plant in chattanooga could be pivotal in the united automobile workers’ effort to organize the entire industry. by noam scheiber the provocation for the former president’s comments appeared to be remarks that shawn fain, the union’s leader, made on sunday. by maggie astor shawn fain, the u.a.w. president, said that president biden had earned the union’s endorsement when he joined striking members on the picket line last fall in an unprecedented show of support by a sitting president. by the new york times the group, which endorsed president biden in the 2020 election, made the self described most “pro union president in history” work for its official approval. by katie rogers, noam scheiber and jonathan weisman the teamsters union has yet to endorse a presidential candidate, even as president biden has called himself the most pro union president in history. by jonathan weisman a week after declaring a drive to organize nonunion automakers, the united automobile workers union filed charges against three foreign manufacturers. by neal e. boudette the united automobile workers’ effort, with a long elusive goal, follows its success in securing big raises in contracts with the detroit automakers. by neal e. boudette the united automobile workers union hopes the agreements with general motors, ford and stellantis will help it make inroads at other companies. by noam scheiber many longstanding general motors workers have been voting against the tentative accord, which they feel insufficiently improves retirement benefits. by neal e. boudette the trip, including a meeting with the president of the united automobile workers, offered the president a chance to celebrate a landmark labor deal. by lisa friedman and neal e. boudette tentative accords at ford motor, general motors and stellantis are the most generous in decades, with wage increases of 25 percent. by marie solis experts said the union’s new contracts could set precedents that give labor advantages when bargaining contracts and organizing workers. by noam scheiber with tentative agreements in place, a six week strike against ford, general motors and stellantis could soon come to an end. but the union’s rank and file members still need to approve the deals. by santul nerkar tentative accords at ford motor, general motors and stellantis are the most generous in decades, raising costs as the industry shifts to electric vehicles. by jack ewing and neal e. boudette after outlining gains for ford workers in a live streamed speech, shawn fain, the union president, said he was setting his sights on other automakers. by neal e. boudette the united automobile workers union announced the deal with stellantis, the parent of chrysler, jeep and ram. it also expanded its strike against g.m. by neal e. boudette shawn fain owes his rise within the united automobile workers to a group determined to make the union far more confrontational toward automakers. by noam scheiber the deal, subject to approval by union members, could ease the way for deals with general motors and stellantis and end a growing wave of walkouts. by neal e. boudette and noam scheiber the united automobile workers union called on 6,800 workers to walk off the job at a large factory that makes one of stellantis’s most profitable vehicles. by neal e. boudette the executive chair of ford motor counsels patience as his company negotiates with the united automobile workers union, which has shut three of his company’s plants. by neal e. boudette the united automobile workers union refrained from expanding the strikes at ford, general motors and stellantis but said it could do so at any time. by neal e. boudette the company said it had reached the limit of what it could offer to the united automobile workers union, which has expanded its strike to ford’s largest plant. by neal e. boudette ups, the hollywood studios and the detroit automakers appear to have been taken aback by the tactics and tougher style adopted by new union leaders. by noam scheiber the united automobile workers reported improved wage offers from the automakers and a concession from general motors on workers at battery factories. by neal e. boudette shawn fain’s disdain for the “billionaire class” informs his showdown with detroit’s automakers. now he must prove that his hard core tactics pay off. by david streitfeld the u.a.w.’s president, shawn fain, called on an additional 7,000 workers at ford and general motors to go on strike until progress is made at the negotiating table for higher pay and benefits. by the associated press the united automobile workers union said 7,000 more of its members would walk off the job two weeks after it began strikes at the big three automakers. by neal e. boudette the united automobile workers union said the strikes against general motors, ford and stellantis could grow on friday if negotiators don’t make enough progress. by neal e. boudette a day after president biden appeared on a union picket line, the former president spoke at an auto parts factory in michigan. by trip gabriel shawn fain, the president of the united automobile workers union, said he was opposed to meeting the former president during his visit to michigan on wednesday. by neil vigdor the president and his leading republican rival are heading to michigan to address members of the u.a.w., whose political clout is growing. by andrew ross sorkin, ravi mattu, bernhard warner, sarah kessler and michael j. de la merced the president’s trip came a day before former president donald j. trump was scheduled to arrive in michigan, as the two offer dueling messages in a key swing state. by katie rogers and erica l. green in an extraordinary show of support for organized labor, president biden said he would join workers in michigan on the front lines of their strike against leading automakers. by reid j. epstein, katie rogers and shane goldmacher the union designated 38 spare parts distribution centers as additional strike targets at general motors and stellantis. by neal e. boudette the united auto workers union said workers would walk out of more plants on friday if it didn’t make progress in talks with general motors, ford and stellantis. by neal e. boudette

toledo, ohio   for months last year, united auto workers president shawn fain had warned the big 3 automakers that september 14 was not a suggestion, but a deadline. after failing to reach new contracts by the stroke of midnight, he kept his word, calling on workers at three major assembly plants to walk off the job. now a year later, there’s no doubt autoworkers at ford, general motors and stellantis, formerly chrysler, are earning more money. for some, significantly more. at the same time, stellantis workers say they face a highly uncertain future, with little faith that their new record contracts, achieved after a painful six week strike, will keep their jobs intact. “this is the lowest that morale's been in the 11 years that i've been here,” says jim cooper, a team leader at stellantis’ toledo assembly complex where the jeep wrangler and jeep gladiator are built. a downturn in sales this year at stellantis, which formed when fiat chrysler merged with the french automaker peugeot in 2021, has led to production slowdowns at u.s. facilities, layoffs for as many as 2,450 assembly workers outside detroit next month, and a delay in plans to reopen a plant in belvidere, ill. in the first half of this year, stellantis profits dropped 48% from the year before, the company reported this summer. in august, the company confirmed rumors that it was putting on hold plans to start production of a midsize truck in belvidere in 2027. "to ensure the company’s future competitiveness and sustainability, which are necessary to preserve u.s. manufacturing jobs, it is critical that the business case for all investments is aligned with market conditions," the company wrote in a statement. stellantis declined npr's request for an interview. now, workers are wondering how committed the trans atlantic automaker is to remain in the u.s. at all. for years, cooper says, old timers at his plant in toledo have warned that if wages rose too much, the company would move jobs to mexico. it's a threat he's always shrugged off, given how profitable the jeep plant has been for stellantis. but now? "i could see it," he says. the strike and contract wins last year were supposed to be a turning point for auto workers. after decades of concessions, auto workers were finally getting what the uaw said was long overdue: raises of 25% or more over the life of the contract, the return of cost of living adjustments, and new job protections, including the right to strike over plant closures and in some cases, broken investment promises. the raises have indeed materialized. since the strike, pay has jumped by more than $5 an hour, including a cost of living adjustment, for most workers. some temporary workers who were converted to permanent, full time employees under the new contract have seen their hourly wages nearly double. but scheduled overtime, common in the auto industry, has fallen dramatically, cutting into workers' paychecks. last year, cooper says he was routinely working 60 hours a week to meet production demands. that has since evaporated. not only has there been far less overtime for workers, but over the past three weeks, production in toledo and elsewhere has been halted for a couple days at a time as too many cars remain on dealer lots. "my checks are smaller than they were before the strike," says cooper. of course, there are upsides to working less. "i don't feel like a zombie in the afternoon. i can go do stuff with the kids, go to scouts, do some yard work," he says. "but losing overtime is a big hit." losing american auto jobs all together would be an even bigger hit, and something the uaw is fighting aggressively to prevent. last month, the union began a formal grievance process over the delay in reopening belvidere. that process could eventually lead to a strike at one or multiple plants, even as the union and stellantis spar over whether a strike would even be legal under the current contract. while the uaw won the right to strike over the failure to fulfill product and investment commitments, stellantis has pointed to what's essentially an escape clause in the contract, allowing them to push back investments if market conditions change. the uaw argues that the company is at fault for failing to plan for and fund its commitments. "let me be clear, stellantis must keep the promises made to america in our union contract," fain said in a fiery speech before the democratic national convention in chicago last month. he vowed that the union would take "whatever action necessary" to hold the company accountable. marick masters, professor emeritus at wayne state university, says behind the scenes, the two sides are no doubt negotiating in an effort to avoid another strike. but with the headwinds facing carmakers   not only slower sales but also the costly transition to evs   he says the uaw is in a bit of a quandary. "there's no language that i can find in that memorandum of understanding that explicitly gives the union the right to strike" given the current conditions, he says. in toledo, cooper says unlike last fall, he has little hope that a strike would be successful anyway. "we would probably stand out here by burn barrels in the cold for two weeks, and then have a judge tell us, 'go back to work or you'll be fired,'" he says. elsewhere in the u.s. auto industry, there are more positive signs that last year's strike is making a difference for workers   and for the uaw. in a major win for the union last fall, general motors agreed to bring workers from its ev battery joint venture ultium cells under the national labor agreement. that's already paying off for 1,600 ultium workers in lordstown, ohio, who this summer ratified a new contract with raises of 30% over three years, and for a thousand more ultium workers in spring hill, tenn., who joined the uaw earlier this month. "the workers organized without facing threats or intimidation and won their union once a majority of workers signed cards," the uaw said in a statement, describing a process known as card check recognition. even at stellantis, the pay raises have changed some workers' lives. kevin pinson had worked at the toledo jeep plant as a temporary employee for six years, far longer than the one to two years he thought it would take to be rolled over to permanent status. as part of last fall's negotiations, the uaw got stellantis to agree to reduce its heavy reliance on temps and convert several thousand of them to full time employment. with his tenure at the plant, pinson was among the first to be converted. his wage went from about $19 an hour at the time of the strike to more than $35 an hour. a father of two, pinson says the raise has given him a cushion   something he desperately needed. "before the raise, i actually had to donate plasma to make extra income just for bills and stuff," he says. "my hours were not steady." but there was a catch. stellantis assigned a group of workers, chosen based on the digits in their social security numbers, to new jobs at a warehouse in detroit, 90 minutes away. despite his seniority, pinson was one of them. "they basically gave us a week notice," says pinson. "none of us even knew where it was. never even heard of it." suddenly, his work days grew significantly longer. he was leaving home at 3 am to make his 5 am shift. gas money was eating into his raises. he went from filling his tank once a week to filling it every two days. then in july, he was brought back to toledo and put on the evening shift, working some nights until 2 am. "i don't know what the future holds," he says. "there are so many rumors about being laid off until stuff starts selling." last fall, even with record raises and the promise of permanent status on the table, pinson voted against the contract, doubtful that stellantis would make good on its end of the deal. while his doubt remains, he's not too worried about his job   at least for now. "we're going to be starting the 2025 [models] soon, so at least we'll have that to build," he says. copyright 2024 npr
supported by the agreement, if ratified, will cover 1,600 workers making batteries for general motors in ohio. the union said it would be a model for efforts elsewhere. by neal e. boudette the united automobile workers union on monday announced a tentative contract agreement at an ohio factory making batteries for electric vehicles, a step that it called a milestone in enhancing pay and safety in the e.v. supply chain. the accord covers 1,600 workers at a lordstown plant operated by ultium cells, a joint venture between general motors and a south korean partner, lg energy solution. it produces batteries for g.m. electric vehicles. the workers had not been unionized when the plant opened in 2022, but they were brought into the u.a.w. under the terms of the national contract the union negotiated with g.m. last fall. this new contract, subject to ratification by the plant’s workers, defines wages and working conditions specific to that location. shawn fain, the u.a.w. president, said in a letter to union members that the accord was “a game changer for the electric vehicle battery industry.” g.m. and ultium issued statements saying they were pleased with the agreement. the union said it planned to use the ultium cells contract as a template as it negotiated local agreements at other battery plants that g.m. and its detroit rivals are building. g.m. started production this year at a battery plant in spring hill, tenn., and has another under construction in lansing, mich. ford motor plans two battery plants in kentucky, one in tennessee and one in michigan. stellantis, the maker of chrysler, jeep, dodge, and ram vehicles, plans two battery plants in indiana. aside from one ford location, those plants involve joint ventures that were brought under the u.a.w. umbrella under the national contracts the union signed with ford and stellantis last fall.

 collaboration partners: lg energy solution | general motors warren, ohio   ultium cells, llc announced that approximately 1,600 of its hourly employees represented by the united auto workers (uaw) voted to ratify their first local supplementary bargaining agreement. the employees voted 98% in favor of ratification of this first contract. the new contract goes into effect monday, june 17, 2024, and expires april 30, 2028. “we are very appreciative of everyone’s patience during the months of negotiations.