The BlueOval SK venture, a $7 billion partnership between Ford and SK On, is expected to employ 5,000 people across two Kentucky plants.
The United Auto Workers (UAW) won a vote to unionize Ford’s joint-venture BlueOval SK battery plant in Kentucky, though it disputed 41 pending challenge ballots as illegitimate.
The union urged Ford to recognize that a majority of production and maintenance workers had chosen to join, accusing the company of trying to undermine the outcome, Reuters reported.
The BlueOval SK venture, a $7 billion partnership between Ford and SK On, expects to employ 5,000 workers across two Kentucky battery plants once fully operational.
About 1,450 employees currently work at the first site, which began production this summer, while the second facility remains delayed. The Kentucky plants produce batteries for Ford’s EVs, including the F-150 Lightning.
UAW President Shawn Fain has emphasized the importance of organizing EV and battery facilities, calling them a key battleground as the industry transitions to electrification.
The push comes after mixed results in the South, including a win at Volkswagen’s Tennessee plant in 2023, but a loss at Mercedes’ Alabama facility in May 2024. The union has also previously secured victories at GM’s Ultium Cells battery joint ventures in Ohio and Tennessee.
The vote comes as Ford faces a tougher landscape for electric vehicles. Ford has scaled back in Kentucky, operating just one of its battery plants while leaving the second one idle.
The move comes as electric vehicle demand falls short of expectations and costs climb, pressures that have already forced rivals like GM and Honda to scale back their own investments.
The company stated that its Tennessee battery project is still moving forward, supported by a $9.63 billion loan from the U.S. Department of Energy, which also covers the Kentucky sites.
Still, the company faces pressure from tariffs and higher expenses, estimating $2.5 billion in costs tied to Trump-era levies. Ford has pledged to recover $1 billion through efficiency measures but expects to shoulder a remaining $1.5 billion in 2025.
On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for Ford was ‘neutral’ amid ‘low’ message volume.
Ford’s stock has risen 27.7% so far in 2025.
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