LORDSTOWN, Ohio - As Ultium Cells battery plant is starting production, a majority of the workers there are demanding to be recognized as a union.

If not, the United Auto Workers Local 1112 said the next move could hurt both the plant and the workers.

UAW Local 1112 President Darwin Cooper said he's never seen so many workers come to formally express they want to form a union as he has with Ultium Cells employees in recent weeks.

"The first night that they called a meeting for anybody that wanted to come and sign cards, there were over 400 people that came after work," Darwin said. 

Cooper said well over 50% of the hundreds of Ultium workers signed off for approval on union cards, which is one way to form a union if Ultium Cells management agrees to it.

The UAW said Ultium has until Friday, or workers will vote to "strike for recognition" meaning they won't show up to work until they're recognized as a union.

"Both sides send up losing usually when there's a strike but there are times you have to strike. These workers are underpaid. We're getting reports of a lot of health and safety concerns coming out of that plant," Cooper said, "We want that company to be successful, we want to help them be successful. It's important to this Valley, not just to the workers there or this union."

21 News reached out to Ultium Cells to respond to the concerns and whether there is any pushback from Ultium Cells to recognize workers as a union. 

An Untium Cells Spokesperson said:

"Ultium Cells LLC respects workers' right to unionize and the efforts of the UAW or any other union to organize battery cell manufacturing workers at our manufacturing sites. Ultium Cells has every intention of complying with the National Labor Relations Act, which protects our employees' right to decide the issue of union representation through a voluntary democratic election conducted by the NLRB."