Electric Vehicle Battery Plant Workers in Kentucky File for Election to Join UAW [Video]

Workers at a new electric vehicle battery plant in Kentucky filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board on Tuesday requesting an election to join the United Auto Workers, a union that’s making a concerted effort to organize in the U.S. South.

The UAW said Wednesday that a supermajority of workers at BlueOval SK (BOSK) — a joint venture of the U.S. car manufacturer Ford and the Korean firm SK On — have backed the organizing effort, citing the need for improved safety protections as well as better pay and benefits. The plant in Glendale, Kentucky is set to begin production this year.

“We’re forming our union so we can have a say in our safety and our working conditions,” said Halee Hadfield, a quality operator at BOSK. “The chemicals we’re working with can be extremely dangerous. If something goes wrong, a massive explosion can occur. With our union, we can speak up if we see there’s a problem …