Some union workers see EV expansion as pathway toward stability
- A new Indiana plant is expected to bring 1,400 jobs to the area
- ‘We see the shift in the transition to electric vehicles’: union rep
- The UAW has vowed to expand its strike with little notice
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KOKOMO, Ind. (NewsNation) — As the United Auto Workers (UAW) union threatens to escalate its strike, one of the Big Three automakers is accelerating its plans toward zero carbon emissions.
Stellantis has announced it is building its second electric vehicle (EV) plant in Kokomo, Indiana. The plant is the second joint venture with Samsung. The automaker claims the $3.1 billion investment will create 1,400 jobs by the time production begins in 2027.
This is unfolding as UAW pushes to unionize the Big Three’s electric vehicle battery plants, which could become a major sticking point in negotiations.
Todd Dunn, who represents more than 8,700 workers at the Ford plant in Kentucky, said he sees EV expansion as a way for unions to remain resilient to market changes.
“We see the shift in the transition to electric vehicles,” he said. “And we have to have a footprint. As those jobs are eliminated in the traditional combustion engine facilities, we have to make sure that we have a pathway to be able to continue our jobs. So that’s very important for us.”
