The successful unionization at Spring Hill is particularly noteworthy given Tennessee's historical resistance to unions.

General Motors, which co-owns Ultium Cells with LG Energy Solution, voluntarily recognized the union after workers organized without intimidation.

The Ultium battery plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee, has successfully voted to unionize, becoming the second GM battery facility to do so.

Approximately 1,000 workers at the Spring Hill plant signed cards to join the United Auto Workers (UAW), prompting the company to recognize the union.

As a result of the unionization, starting pay for workers will increase from $20 per hour to a minimum of $27.72, with projections for production worker pay to rise to $30.88 over the next three years.

The UAW hailed the successful organization at Ultium Cells as a significant advancement for workers' rights in Tennessee and the broader South.

The UAW has been actively focusing on unionizing in the South, where union presence has historically been weak, achieving mixed results.

The unionization of the Ultium plant follows contentious negotiations during the previous year's UAW contract talks, which included strikes at various plants.

Pro-union sentiment is at historic highs in the U.S., contributing to a wave of unionization efforts across various industries, particularly in the automotive sector.

The recognition of the union at Ultium Cells is part of a broader trend, as another Ultium plant in Lansing, Michigan, is nearing completion but has not yet voted on unionization.

This unionization strengthens the UAW's presence in the southern U.S., where it aims to organize more nonunion auto plants amid the growing demand for electric vehicles.

The U.S. Department of Energy supported Ultium's establishment with a $2.5 billion loan, facilitating the growth of battery production in the region.