Employees of BlueOval SK battery plant in Hardin County set to vote on unionization

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Hundreds of workers at Hardin County's BlueOval SK battery plant are set to vote this week on a push to unionize.

Production started at the Glendale, Kentucky plant last week, but talks of unionizing have been going on for nearly a year. In January, workers filed for a major union election with the National Labor Relations Board.

"We're forming our union so we can have a say in our safety and our working conditions," Halee Hadfield, a quality operator at BOSK, said in a news release. "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 and make sure we're keeping ourselves and the whole community safe."

About 1,200 hourly workers are set to vote Tuesday and Wednesday on joining the UAW. Some workers at the plant recently said safety is a big reason why.

BlueOval employees have filed numerous safety complaints, and the state has launched 13 investigations at the plant. So far, only one violation was issued — against the general contractor, Barton Malow. The company was initially fined $6,700, but that was later lowered to $1,000.

The company maintains that safety is its top priority.

"We are a startup company, and we're just in the process of building parts, and we need to move quickly — and we need to react quickly — and we feel the best way to do that is to have that direct communication line with our employees that we all have one voice going forward after we talk through things and that we can hit our objectives that we need for our customers," Michael Adams, CEO of BlueOval SK, said in June. "We feel we can do that best with a direct relationship. Certainly, a union coming in adds a layer to that that we would rather not have as we're growing this company. We understand that some may feel that they can be better represented by the union. We respect their opinion, but, certainly, as a management team, we believe that the employee and the company are working together under a direct relationship."

BlueOval SK is a joint venture between Ford and South Korean conglomerate SK On. Union officials said several other joint-venture plants are already unionized, but Adams said he believes in more direct communication between the company and employees.

Batteries from the plant will power the all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning.

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