Workers express confidence as union vote begins at Hardin County battery plant

GLENDALE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A union vote is underway in Hardin County this week that could make history, and the nation is watching.

About 1,200 workers at Hardin County's BlueOval SK battery plant began voting Tuesday on a push to unionize under the United Auto Workers. Production started at the Glendale 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.

A supermajority of employees have already signed union cards, citing safety concerns and lower wages than unionized workers at Ford. Batteries from the plant will power the all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning.

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.

"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 earlier this year. "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."

The company maintains safety is its top priority, and CEO Michael Adams said unionizing isn't the answer.

"We understand that some may feel that they can be better represented by the union," he said. "We respect their opinion. But as a management team, we believe the employee and the company working together directly can build a better future for BlueOval SK."

Ben Gassman, assistant plant manager of the first facility to come online in Glendale, said their team is already prepared to produce "best-in-class" batteries without union representation.

"The UAW will only hold our team back," he said in a written statement Tuesday.

The stakes are high for the workers, for Ford and for Kentucky's place in the auto industry. BlueOval SK has called the vote premature, but the UAW said it's long overdue. Either way, the decision could determine how the next generation of auto jobs are built in Kentucky and beyond.

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.

"We prefer a direct relationship," Adams said. "And what I mean by a direct relationship is we have free flowing information back and forth between our employees and our management team so we can quickly react."

The voting will continue until 8 p.m. Wednesday.

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