LORDSTOWN, Ohio - On Monday, a 25% pay raise went into effect for all Ultium Cells workers. That raise brings the starting wage for employees from $15.50 to $18. per hour - but some feel that’s still not enough. 

“They’re giving a piece of their lives everyday to these companies and these companies need to treat these workers with respect and dignity that they’ve earned,” David Green, the United Auto Workers Region 2B Director said. 

Green said those are still “poverty wages” and wants to see that minimum increase to the traditional autoworker wage of nearly $32 an hour. 

“The workers should share in the huge profits that these companies are making,” Senator Brown said in support of the Ultium Cells workers. 

Senator Brown held a roundtable discussion with a dozen Ultium workers on Monday. He said they mostly spoke about pay and safety concerns. 

“These employees are handling chemicals they’ve never handled before … talking to those workers that are handling these bags and vats and containers they may not be properly labeled,” Senator Brown said. “Some of them are not labeled in English because it’s a half Korean company.” 

“I don’t know the safe handling of those chemicals. How do I wear the proper PPE? What is the proper PPE?,” Ethan Surgenavic, an Ultium Cells worker asked. “I’m just afraid that  somebody’s going to get hurt or even worse, get killed there.”

Others are worried poor communication in the building could affect their safety.

“We don't have clear lines of communication between our OEM's and our supervisors and not everybody’s on the same page,” Trisha Brown, and Ultium Cells workers said about her biggest concern when working. 

Pay and safety are things the workers hope to see in their first union contract that is being negotiated separately from the Big Three Automakers. 

“They have an opportunity for a contract that does right and should be the gold standard,” Senate Brown said. 

Green said they hope to have Ultium's contract finalized by the end of 2023.