Ultium Cells Workers OK 4-Year Contract
LORDSTOWN, Ohio – Approximately 1,600 of Ultium Cells LLC’s hourly employees represented by the United Auto Workers voted Sunday to ratify their first local supplementary bargaining agreement.
The employees voted 98% in favor of ratification of the contract, which goes into effect Monday and expires April 30, 2028.
“We are very appreciative of everyone’s patience during the months of negotiations. It has been a long journey with multiple changes along the way,” Kareem Maine, Ultium Cells Ohio plant director, said in a news release. “We are pleased with the results of a ratified contract, and it is a proud moment for everyone. Everyone should take some time to recognize your role in creating the first unionized battery manufacturing contract in the history of the United States.
Ultium workers voted in favor of organizing and representation by the UAW in December 2022, and both the union and the company have been working collaboratively toward an initial agreement since February 2023.
Highlights of the agreement include:
- Higher wages for all workers, including a significant increase after one year of experience for those members not in the skilled trades group.
- Overtime (time-and-a-half) paid for the 11th and 12th hours worked in any given shift.
- Enhanced relief time of 70 minutes per shift across three break periods.
- Continued implementation of enhanced health and safety programs.
The new wage scale will go into effect immediately, and the remaining aspects of the contract will be implemented as soon as possible, the release states.
Pictured at top: Photo by Gene J. Puskar. (Associated Press)
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
