Title: How UAW and Ford, GM and Stellantis addressed US battery manufacturing work in 2023-2028 contracts

Authors: Kristin Dziczek

Addresses: Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, 1600 E. Warren Ave., Detroit, Michigan, 48207, USA

Abstract: The US auto industry is undergoing a transition to electric vehicles (EVs) that holds both promise and peril for autoworkers, their unions, and the communities in which they work. This research examines battery manufacturing in the US auto industry, the UAW's policy position on vehicle electrification, the 2023 UAW contract protections that address battery plant workers wages and job security with Ford, GM and Stellantis, and the first UAW agreement with a US battery manufacturer (GM-LG Joint Venture Ultium Cells LLC). The paper also explores the challenges and opportunities facing unions amid the global shift to electrified vehicles.

Keywords: automakers; automotive industry; automotive manufacturing; battery industry; electric vehicles; employment; industrial policies; labour organisations; lithium ion battery; North America.

DOI: 10.1504/IJATM.2025.147852

International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management, 2025 Vol.25 No.2, pp.199 - 215

Received: 20 Sep 2024
Accepted: 06 Dec 2024
Published online: 04 Aug 2025 *

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