Workers Win Raises At GM Ohio EV Battery Plant

Unionized workers at a General Motors (GM) joint venture electric vehicle battery plant in Ohio will see pay raises while they continue to negotiate a contract if they ratify an interim deal announced, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

Photo Insert: The United Auto Workers (UAW) union said that the 1,100 workers at the Ultium Cells plant near Warren, Ohio, will get $3 to $4 per hour increases as well as thousands of dollars in back pay. I Image: General Motors

The United Auto Workers (UAW) union said that the 1,100 workers at the Ultium Cells plant near Warren, Ohio, will get $3 to $4 per hour increases as well as thousands of dollars in back pay.

They’ll vote on the interim deal in the coming days. Ultium Cells said the average increase is 25%, and it would be effective on Aug. 28. Since it’s retroactive, workers would get $3,000 to $7,000 as well, based on the hours they have worked.

Workers at the plant, jointly owned by battery maker LG Energy Solution, now start at $16.50 per hour, which UAW President Shawn Fain has criticized as too low.

UAW Vice President Mike Booth said the interim deal is still far short of what the workers should get given the skill level needed to do the jobs. “We have been clear with Ultium: This wage increase is just the start,” Booth said in a statement.

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