CHICAGO - A Chicago-based law firm has begun reaching out to Ultium Cells employees in Lordstown regarding what attorneys say could be potential violations of the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act or WARN Act.

Ultium Cells, a joint venture between General Motors Co. and LG Energy Solution, confirmed in a legal notice that it plans to lay off 1,334 hourly employees starting Jan. 5, 2026, at its Lordstown EV battery plant.

The job cuts include 1,090 Battery Assembly Operators, 142 Quality Operators, and 102 Material Operators. Approximately 850 of those layoffs are expected to be temporary.

Strauss Borrelli PLLC, a firm specializing in class action cases, stated it is investigating the layoff notification at the Ultium Cells facility on Tod Avenue SW. The firm's inquiry centers on whether employees received the required 60 days of advance written notice under the federal labor law.

“We are investigating whether General Motors failed to provide at least 60 days’ notice before laying off 484 employees and, therefore, violated the WARN Act,” the law firm stated on its blog.

The WARN Act mandates that most large employers provide 60 days’ notice before a mass layoff or plant closing to allow workers and their families time to seek new jobs or training.

A notice from GM and Ultium Cells dated October 29 and received by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services on November 3 cited the layoffs as a necessary adjustment to production schedules, which the company attributes to slower-than-expected adoption of electric vehicles in the near term. The company also noted the facility will undergo upgrades to provide greater flexibility.

The announced job cuts in Lordstown coincide with reductions at other General Motors facilities, including a temporary layoff of 700 workers at the Ultium Cells plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee, and the elimination of one shift at the Factory Zero assembly plant in Detroit. All affected Lordstown employees are represented by UAW Local 1112.

Laid-off employees retain transfer and recall rights under their existing labor agreements and may be eligible for State Unemployment Compensation and Supplemental Unemployment Benefits.

The firm's investigation focuses on the timing and terms of the notice provided to employees at the Lordstown location. The WARN Act allows for compensation in the form of back pay and benefits for employers found not to have followed the rules.