GM and LG Recognize UAW at Tennessee EV Battery Plant, Moving Toward Local Bargaining

General Motors and LG Energy Solution have recognized workers’ desire to join the United Auto Workers union at their Ultium Cells EV battery factory in Tennessee. The companies will now begin the local bargaining process, following similar UAW representation at their Ohio facility in 2022.

GM and LG Acknowledge Workers’ UAW Unionization Efforts at Tennessee EV Battery Plant, Begin Bargaining

General Motors (GM) and LG Energy Solution (LGES), a joint venture in South Korea, recently acknowledged their employees' desire to join the United Auto Workers (UAW) union.

“The team at Ultium Cells in Tennessee has indicated their desire to be represented by the UAW. The parties will now move into the local bargaining process,” a GM spokesperson stated.

One of the three Ultium Cell factories from the joint venture is the electric vehicle (EV) battery facility in Tennessee, a collaboration between GM and LG Energy Solutions. According to Reuters, in 2022, employees at the joint venture's battery cell factory in Ohio also voted to join the UAW.

The UAW's agreement with the joint venture for its Ohio battery facility provides the 1,600 employees under contract with increased wages, overtime provisions, and 70 minutes of breaks per shift. U.S. President Joseph Biden spoke about the newly minted agreement between the UAW and GM.

“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,”said President Biden.

Tennessee Battery Plant Powers Cadillac Lyriq Production, Aims for 50GWh Capacity and EV Recycling Expansion

The Tennessee battery facility employs 1,000 people. It manufactures batteries for the Cadillac Lyriq electric vehicle, which General Motors manufactures. Within one month of commencing operations, the Ultium Cell factory achieved a battery yield rate of 90%. The TN battery facility is anticipated to reach a total production capacity of 50GWh, sufficient to support the production of 600,000 EVs that can travel 310 miles per single charge.

Redwood Materials collaborated with General Motors and the South Korean battery supplier to recycle the production scraps from its Ohio and Tennessee factories. GM, LGES, and Redwood Materials contribute substantially to expanding North America's electric vehicle supply chain.