LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Gov. Andy Beshear is shedding more light on what’s to come when the BlueOval SK plant in Hardin County opens next year.
During an appearance on Sunday's CBS Face the Nation, Beshear said when the Ford BlueOval SK plant opens, it will not be unionized because of an agreement reached between Ford Motor Company and the United Auto Workers.
The agreement created an entity that allows non-union employees to work alongside union employees.
“We respect those agreements and their negotiations,” Beshear said. “Now what did it mean? 10,000 plus UAW workers in Ford’s two other facilities in Kentucky got better wages, better benefits [and] a better life for their families.”
WHAS11 News spoke with UAW Local 862 President Todd Dunn, and he said the UAW still plans to unionize once the plant opens.
“If we have workers there, transfer there, if there's that need, that's even better, because they'll be working with side workers that, once it's open, that will be making less, and they'll get to see the benefits, and they can talk to those people. Either way – bottom line, we as an organization, plan to organize the BlueOval SK facility."
The nearly $6.1 billion investment from Ford came in 2021 and will have added 5,000 jobs to Kentucky and producing thousands of electric batteries to power their EV future.
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