Workforce Development

Workforce Development

UAW: A New Driver Of The Battery Workforce

UAW: A New Driver Of The Battery Workforce

The 2023 United Auto Workers (UAW) strike and resulting deal signals the first collective acknowledgement from traditional auto workers in the U.S. that the future of auto manufacturing and battery manufacturing are intertwined. It is the latest in a series of negotiations and changing sentiments since the Great Recession. The Big 3’s profits rose 92% while workers’ inflation-adjusted pay fell 19%

2007-08 Concessions Amid Crisis

The Big 3 (Chrysler/Stellantis, Ford, GM) faced major losses

To prop up them up, UAW conceded pay raises, cost-of-living protections, retiree healthcare

Talent | P. 260 Source: Peoplesdispatch.org

First Negotiation to Involve Batteries

Beginning of a Battery-Aligned UAW

After 40-day strike against GM, workers won 3% pay raise but conceded Lordstown, OH car plant closure

During negotiations, GM had proposed new battery plant in Lordstown

UAW rejected battery plant because it offered fewer jobs, lower pay under separate contract

Historic strike against all of Big 3 yielded 25% pay raise, return of cost-of-living protections

UAW can now organize GM/Ultium and Ford workers at new MI and TN battery plants and BlueOval EV campus in TN

ICEV workers can transfer to EV plants

What could the future look like? U.S. battery manufacturing jobs may pay more. In turn, companies may slow construction of U.S. battery plants and reconsider their non-U.S. options. More ICEV workers may be open to switch to battery/EV plants. Companies, educators, and policymakers should increase support for skills retraining.

Extracted from the PDF; charts and images may read imperfectly.