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Ford and its joint venture partner SK On will raise wages at two planned EV battery factories in Kentucky and Tennessee in an effort to placate striking autoworkers. That proposal may not be enough.
The joint venture, known as BlueOval SK, said it is offering higher wages for maintenance technicians and associate maintenance technicians, ranging from $24 to $37.50 an hour, depending on experience. These jobs are now available at BlueOval SK Battery plants in Stanton, Tennessee and Glendale, Kentucky. BlueOval SK said it conducted a pay and benefits benchmarking study to determine employee pay and benefits. BlueOvalSK also said hourly employees will be eligible to receive regular salary increases every six months and bonuses of up to 5% annually depending on position and performance.
“These new, higher salaries are more competitive and in line with the current market,” BlueOval SK Human Resources said.
director Neva McGruder Burke said in a statement.
The United Autoworkers is nearing an agreement with automakers GM, Ford and Stellantis, raising wages between 20% and 23%, guaranteeing cost-of-living adjustments and even temporary It also secured a faster path for employees to gain full-time status – a point that remains key. The UAW expanded its strike on Monday to include Ford’s Kentucky truck plant, after saying the automaker “came to the table with the same offer they presented us two weeks ago. This was an unacceptable step.” Which led to a strong and immediate reaction.”
One of the last remaining issues blocking a deal is a big one: The UAW wants a four-year master agreement with automakers that includes current and future joint venture EV battery plants.
This is a concession the UAW has already won from GM. UAW President Sean Fenn announced last week that GM has agreed to include electric vehicle battery production jobs in the union’s national master agreement with the company.
“We have been told for months that this is impossible. We’re told the future of EVs should be a race to the bottom. We called their bluff,” Fenn said in a video Oct. 6 that was broadcast live on Facebook. “What this will mean to our membership cannot be underestimated. The plan was to close engine and transmission plants and permanently replace them with low-wage battery jobs. We had a different plan. And our plan is winning at GM. And we hope it will win against Ford and Stellantis as well.”
The UAW did not respond to requests for comment.
