- Workers at Ultium Cells, a General Motors plant in Ohio that was converted to produce batteries for electric vehicles, voted 710 to 16 to join the United Auto Workers union. This step will help the labor movement gain ground in the fast-growing EV industry.
- The United Auto Workers union has increased to 1,300 people and plans to expand its membership to dozens of automakers in the United States as they set up battery plants. Furthermore, the UAW will bargain for Ultium workers over wages, benefits, and work hours. Wages currently range from $15 to $22 per hour at the plant—less than what factories owned by GM, Ford Motor Company, and Stellantis pay. It is hoped that UAW will advocate for better working terms.
Why it matters
UAW has the ability to organize workers who make parts for electric vehicles and smoothen the supply chain bottlenecks in the U.S. for EV production.