UAW president: GM not giving up on EVs despite Ultium layoffs
LORDSTOWN, Ohio - LORDSTOWN, Ohio - The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agriculture Implement Workers of America (UAW) President Shawn Fain held a town hall on Wednesday.
The main point of the town hall was to answer union members' questions and to discuss plant closures across the nation, along with a contract with Volkswagen.
One of the plants discussed included the Ultium Cells plant in Lordstown.
It was announced on Wednesday, October 29, that several thousand jobs would be cut at Ultium Cells locations throughout the country.
Some cuts included the Ultium Cells plant in Lordstown, cutting 550 jobs, with an additional 850 positions planned to be laid off.
The Ultium Cells plant, a joint venture between GM and Ultium Cells, manufactures battery cells to be used in electric vehicles.
The decision to cut jobs and plan further layoffs is a move by General Motors (GM), reportedly aiming to adjust its electric vehicle (EV) capacity in response to a slowing demand for electric vehicles in the United States.
During the virtual town hall, Fain recognized that the EV industry is weaker than before, with certain decisions made in Washington, D.C. He shared some statistics on three of the top vehicle manufacturing companies profit expectations, including Ford, General Motors and Stellantis.
Fain went on to state that GM just raised its expectations of profit for the 2025 year.
"GM just raised [its] operating profit expectations for the year to $13 billion... So, as we've said for years, the money's there. We just need to fight for our fair share," said Fain.
Fain continued," Just last week, as you all know, General Motors, when they announced profits for the quarter that exceeded expectations, at the same time, they announced over 3,000 layoffs at six facilities."
Fain goes on to say that the union has been in conversations with GM, who say they do not plan to give up the EV business.
Fain went on to reiterate his earlier point on the GM company raising profit expectations for the year, while also announcing over 3,000 cuts to jobs across several Ultium Cells facilities.
"It tells me that layoffs are a choice. As long as they're making money, as long as their CEO is getting paid, as long as they're paying off Wall Street - it's a choice they're making as a company," said Fain.
For employees affected by the cuts and layoffs, a job fair is planned to help connect area employers to prospective employees.
The job fair will be held on November 18 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the library on Kent State University's Trumbull County campus.
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