Ultium Workers in Tennessee Join UAW as Majority Sign Union Cards

Photo byUnited Auto Workers

Unionization Marks Major Win for Southern Autoworkers Amid Growing EV Industry

SPRING HILL, Tenn. — In a significant victory for labor rights, the majority of workers at Ultium Cells in Tennessee have signed cards to join the United Auto Workers (UAW), and the company has agreed to recognize their union. Ultium, a joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solution, respected the decision of its 1,000 employees to unionize without interference, allowing them to organize free from threats or intimidation.

“This is a great day for Ultium workers and for every worker in Tennessee and the South,” said Trudy Lindahl, an Ultium worker in Spring Hill. “Southern workers are ready to stand up and win our fair share by winning our unions. And when we have a free and fair choice, we will win every time.”

A Growing Trend of Unionization in the South

The success of Ultium workers follows other significant wins for autoworkers in the South. In April, 4,300 workers at Volkswagen in Chattanooga, Tenn., became the first Southern autoworkers outside of the Big Three automakers to unionize. The trend of unionization in the rapidly expanding EV and battery manufacturing industry is seen as a turning point for labor in the region.

Tim Smith, Director of UAW Region 8, which includes Tennessee and extends from the Southeast to New Mexico, expressed optimism about the growing momentum. “The UAW members at Ultium and VW are proving that the new jobs of the South will be union jobs,” Smith said. “In the battery plants and EV factories springing up from Georgia to Kentucky to Texas, workers know they deserve the same strong pay and benefits our members have won. And we’re going to make sure they have the support they need to win their unions and win their fair share.”

Improving Conditions for Workers and Future Generations

The Ultium plant in Spring Hill, which began production this year, is the second Ultium factory to be built in the United States and the second to unionize. The first, located in Lordstown, Ohio, opened in 2022, where workers also successfully organized with the UAW. The Lordstown workers secured a groundbreaking contract that includes strong health and safety standards, along with significant wage increases that will more than double by 2027 compared to when the plant opened.

“Being unionized will help us reap the benefits as far as better healthcare, better pay, and overall, just having decency within the workplace—not just for us, but future generations,” said Tradistine Chambers, a worker at the Spring Hill plant.

Jim Erwin, another Ultium worker, highlighted the collective strength that unionization brings. “You’re grouped together, and you can stand up as one. That’s the power of being a union,” he said. “Instead of just one stick, you’ve got several. You can’t snap several sticks, but you can snap one.”

Setting a Precedent for Future Battery Plants

The unionization of Ultium’s workforce in Tennessee is expected to set a powerful precedent for the growing number of battery plants and EV factories in the South, including at Ford’s Blue Oval facilities in Tennessee and Kentucky. As the industry continues to expand, the UAW is poised to play a critical role in ensuring that workers across these new facilities have the opportunity to secure fair wages, robust benefits, and safe working conditions.

The recent successes of Ultium workers in both Ohio and Tennessee reflect a broader shift towards unionization in a region traditionally less associated with organized labor. These wins signal a new chapter for Southern workers as they continue to assert their rights and fight for better conditions in the burgeoning EV and battery manufacturing sector.