UAW Vying to Represent GM Battery Plant Employees

by Matt Posky

Published: November 1st, 2022

uaw vying to represent gm battery plant employees

On Monday, the United Auto Workers (UAW) announced that it is seeking to represent workers employed by the Ohio-based joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy. The union said that it had filed a petition on behalf of 900 people building Ultium battery cells, saying that a majority of the plant’s workforce had already signed cards indicating that they wanted UAW representation.

A formal request was also issued on Monday via the Cleveland office of the National Labor Relations Board. The union said that there had previously been discussions about whether the facility would even recognize the UAW via the card check process, rather than a formal election. It also said that it would continue pressing the issue after the joint venture allegedly refused to acknowledge it.

“By refusing to recognize their majority will, Ultium — which is a joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solution — has decided to ignore democracy and delay the recognition process," stated UAW President Ray Curry. "Make no mistake: whether it is by card check or union election, these workers will be members of the UAW.”

Factory spokesperson Brooke Waid told The Detroit News that she "believes the right to a personal and private vote is important,” suggesting that the UAW’s signed cards weren’t sufficiently convincing.

"Ultium Cells respects workers’ freedom to choose union representation and the efforts of the UAW to organize battery cell manufacturing workers at our Ohio manufacturing site," Waid said in a statement. "Ultium Cells will comply with the National Labor Relations Act, which protects our employees’ right to freely decide unionization through a voluntary election conducted by the [National Labor Relations Board]."

It looks like the company will be getting that vote. However, the UAW still contends that it had repeatedly met with leadership to discuss the process for certifying the union’s alleged majority status without going through an NLRB election and that Ultium Cells previously indicated that the authorization cards would have been sufficient.

[Image: Daniel J. Macy/Shutterstock]

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Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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2 of 15 comments

Jkross22 on Nov 02, 2022

Successful unionization efforts are typically in response to an employer's actions or inactions on safety or pay, no? Is there any word on why employees have signed up for union representation?

UAW has so poisoned unionization that you'd have to be a sadist to consider them as your representation. They make public unions look reasonable.... well, almost.

1 Reply
- MaintenanceCosts on Nov 02, 2022
  
  Employers have steadily eroded so much trust over the last couple of decades that workers are increasingly turning to representation before bad things happen.
  Every time they impose just-in-time scheduling, rigid points systems for absence or work speed, or procedures that force employees to spend more time without getting paid, a union gets a little closer to winning an election.
  
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Jkross22 on Nov 02, 2022

Those things you listed are reasons why employees would explore unionizing. If those things don't happen, then what are we talking about?

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