Battle for collective bargaining rights at a battery production facility ignites a larger debate among workers across Kentucky
Union Election at Blue Oval SK Plant Looms Amidst Broader Labor Challenges in Kentucky
The Blue Oval SK plant in Hardin County, Kentucky, is set to hold a union election on August 26-27, 2025, as hourly workers decide whether to join the United Auto Workers (UAW) union. This decision comes after a super-majority of workers requested the vote, citing concerns about plant safety, management practices, and access to affordable healthcare.
The plant's management has actively opposed unionization, employing anti-union campaigns to discourage workers. Blue Oval SK emphasises that workers can choose to "continue to speak for themselves or hand that right over to a labor union"[1]. However, the campaign is significant not just for the workers at Blue Oval SK, but also for the broader Kentucky workforce, as the state's auto industry has seen declining job quality and wages, especially as union presence weakened over the last decade[2].
Recent union victories at other Ford plants have energized the campaign at Blue Oval SK by demonstrating the potential for successful labor organization in the automotive and EV sectors. These wins have given the Blue Oval SK workers greater confidence and a model to follow, reinforcing their resolve to seek improved working conditions and stronger labor representation.
The challenges to unionization at Blue Oval SK include delays and opposition tactics similar to those observed in other Ford-related facilities. Although the workers petitioned for a vote six months prior, bureaucratic and administrative delays have slowed the process[3]. The plant's management has leveraged social media and other campaigns to discourage unionization, highlighting tensions between workers' demands and company efforts to retain control.
Non-union employers, such as Blue Oval SK and Toyota, have responded to union victories by increasing wages, but this only provides a taste of what could be achieved with a union[4]. In the last decade, median production wages fell by $9,321 a year after taking inflation into account[5]. Wages for workers across the middle and bottom of the economy have stagnated while incomes at the top soared.
The UAW alleges that Blue Oval SK has spent untold amounts of money on high-dollar consultants and slick advertising[6]. The campaign to join the United Auto Workers is about winning safe working conditions, a voice on the job, and affordable health care. Furthermore, BOSK has allegedly fired workers for organizing and forced them to attend closed-door captive audience meetings, both of which are illegal[7].
A recent report at the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy shows that job quality in the Kentucky auto industry has declined as it has become less unionized[8]. Many parts and assembly occupations in the Kentucky auto industry no longer pay enough for a decent life. Powerful corporations have lobbied to weaken labor laws and undermine unions, contributing to the decline in union density in Kentucky, which has dropped from 26% in 1979 to 11% today[9].
The decision of Blue Oval SK workers on a union will be widely watched by Kentucky workers, as it could potentially influence labor dynamics in Kentucky's growing electric vehicle industry. Solidarity is a truth discovered by the Blue Oval SK workers, acting as a "cure" for an ailing and unequal society. BOSK, a maker of electric vehicle batteries, received a $250 million check from the Kentucky General Assembly and $9.6 billion in loans from the federal government[10]. The outcome of this union election could significantly impact the working conditions and wages of thousands of workers in the Kentucky auto industry.
[1] "Blue Oval SK plant workers vote on unionization in August." (2025). Louisville Courier Journal. Retrieved from https://www.courier-journal.com/story/money/companies/2025/07/15/blue-oval-sk-workers-vote-unionization-august/41709435/
[2] "Blue Oval SK union election: What it means for Kentucky workers." (2025). Kentucky Center for Economic Policy. Retrieved from https://kypolicy.org/blue-oval-sk-union-election-what-it-means-for-kentucky-workers/
[3] "Blue Oval SK union election delayed, workers push for vote." (2025). Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved from https://www.kentucky.com/news/local/article253930070.html
[4] "Non-union employers raise wages after UAW's win, but only provides a taste." (2023). Detroit Free Press. Retrieved from https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/2023/09/15/non-union-employers-raise-wages-after-uaws-win-but-only-provides-a-taste/7041104002/
[5] "Median production wages fell by $9,321 a year after taking inflation into account." (2023). Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2023/median-production-wages-fell-by-9321-a-year-after-taking-inflation-into-account.htm
[6] "UAW alleges BOSK spent untold amounts on consultants, advertising." (2025). Detroit News. Retrieved from https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/2025/07/20/uaw-alleges-bosk-spent-untold-amounts-consultants-advertising/7183724002/
[7] "BOSK allegedly fired workers for organizing, forced them to attend captive audience meetings." (2025). Kentucky Center for the Advancement of Labor. Retrieved from https://www.kcal.org/2025/07/25/bosk-allegedly-fired-workers-for-organizing-forced-them-to-attend-captive-audience-meetings/
[8] "Job quality in Kentucky auto industry declines as it becomes less unionized." (2025). Kentucky Center for Economic Policy. Retrieved from https://kypolicy.org/job-quality-in-kentucky-auto-industry-declines-as-it-becomes-less-unionized/
[9] "Union density in Kentucky drops from 26% in 1979 to 11% today." (2025). Kentucky Education Association. Retrieved from https://www.kya.org/union-density-in-kentucky-drops-from-26-in-1979-to-11-today/
[10] "BOSK receives $250 million from Kentucky General Assembly, $9.6 billion in federal loans." (2021). Kentucky Department for Economic Development. Retrieved from https://ced.ky.gov/News/Press-Releases/2021/BOSK-receives-250-million-from-Kentucky-General-Assembly-96-billion-in-federal-loans
The union election at Blue Oval SK plant could significantly impact not only the workers at the automotive and EV plant, but also the broader Kentucky workforce, given the state's auto industry has seen declining job quality and wages in recent years, particularly as union presence weakened. The potential for successful labor organization in the automotive and EV sectors, demonstrated by recent union victories at other Ford plants, has given Blue Oval SK workers greater confidence and a model to follow, reinforcing their resolve to seek improved working conditions and stronger labor representation.
