Stellantis-UAW Strike Talks Could Reopen Shuttered Jeep Plant as EV Battery Factory

Earlier in the week, the United Auto Workers (UAW) union and Ford struck a historic labor deal that gave workers pay raises, cost-of-living allowances, and retirement improvements, among other things. It's a deal that is now acting as the template for both Stellantis and GM. The former of which has now reached a tentative deal with the UAW which will also see it reopen the Belvidere, Illinois plant.

In February, Stellantis announced that it was idling its Belvidere assembly plant and, at the same time, investing $155 million into an electric vehicle plant in Indiana. However, following the UAW strike and subsequent new deal, the Belvidere plant isn't only reopening, Stellantis is going to be adding a new electric vehicle battery plant.

“Through the power of our Stand Up Strike, we have saved Belvidere,” said UAW Vice President Rich Boyer.

When Stellantis shut the Belvidere plant down, 1,200 UAW jobs went with it. Those jobs are now coming back and, according to the UAW, thousands more will be added.