The United Automobile Workers (UAW) union sought approval from federal labor regulators for a union election among workers at Ford’s BlueOval SK (BOSK) battery plant in Kentucky, a significant test of organized labor’s strength following the election of Donald Trump.  

According to The New York Times, on January 7, 2025, the union petitioned the National Labor Relations Board to allow workers at the new factory in Glendale, Kentucky, to vote on whether to join the UAW. The plant’s production, expected to commence this year, is a joint venture involving Ford and SK On, a South Korean battery company. A successful vote to join the UAW at this plant could increase the likelihood of workers at two other Ford-SK On battery plants seeking unionization.

As of January 8th, at BlueOval SK (BOSK), the name for the formation of Ford’s and SK-On’s joint venture, has hired around 750 people, with an anticipated number of 5,000 to come. In an article by Electrek, a news site tracking the electric vehicle market, writer Jo Borras shares a quote by a current quality operator as the BOSK plant. “We’re forming our union so we can have a say in our safety and our working conditions… we can speak up if we see there’s a problem and make sure we’re keeping ourselves and the whole community safe,” states employee Halee Hadfield. BlueOval’s response to this has been that the actions are “premature” as the production for the company has not started. However, according to the Courier Journal, amidst the unionization campaign, BlueOval SK announced wage increases for certain positions within the company ranging from $2.50-$3.50 per hour. It is possible that such a move could be an attempt to influence the outcome of the pending union election. 

In an article by The Economic Policy Institute, a nonprofit research institution, the writers share that “Nearly half (48%) of all nonunion workers say they would vote for a union if given the opportunity—a 50% higher share than when a similar survey was taken in 1995.” The union election would take place after Trump has become president.  As of March 26, President Trump signed an executive order, in which a 25% tariff on imports on automobiles and certain automobile parts has been placed. According to The White House website on March 26, the U.S. Automobile and automobile parts industry employs about 1 million U.S. workers, representing a decline of 34% since 2000. The White House expects thousands of blue-collar jobs to be brought back to the United States.

After striking and winning significant wages and benefit gains from the “Big Three” automakers – GM, Ford, and Stellantis – the U.A.W. began campaigning to organize non-union auto plants in the south, successfully winning a vote at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. However, they experienced a setback at two other plants run by Mercedes-Benz in Alabama. According to Canary Media, a nonprofit covering clean energy and solutions to the climate crisis, the Big Three have committed to investing well over $100 billion in electric vehicle manufacturing over the next few years, making this a crucial time to secure the future of union labor during a major historic transition. Stellantis, the maker of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram vehicles, is building battery plants in the state of Indiana, which the UAW hopes to organize.

A positive vote for union representation at BlueOval SK would generate momentum and support for unionization efforts at other battery plants that have recently commenced production or are currently under construction across the country. The UAW continues its efforts to ensure that electric vehicle factories and their corresponding battery plants guarantee strong job security, safety protocols, job retraining programs, and improved wages. A transition to unionization would help prevent companies from relocating jobs to non-union battery plants, which often results in lower labor costs and reduced employee protections, thereby preserving jobs during this industrial shift.

by Cynthia Bueno