Exactly four months ago, the UAW and General Motors reached a tentative contract agreement.

In that contract, a provision would allow previous G-M Lordstown workers transferred to other plants to come back to the area and work at Ultium Cells.
But where does that promise stand?

"I think they were all guns a blazing ready to build as many battery plants as they could," said labor relations expert, Arthur Wheaton.

Wheaton says GM had planned on going all-in on EVs but now, those plans have slowed down.

As of March 4th, 2024, no former GM Lordstown worker transferred to another plant has come back to work in Lordstown at Ultium.

Right now, GM isn't saying much about why.

Kevin Kelly, the senior director of GM Corporate news relations simply gave 21 News the following statement:
"In relation to the transfers, we are having an active dialogue with the UAW on this topic and will execute our agreement in the near future."

It may just be a matter of no new hires needed at the battery plant because, as Wheaton tells us, demand for batteries wasn't where GM thought it would be at this time.

"I think they were expecting a push to hire more people which would have encouraged GM to transfer more people over but there's been a full years-long delay for the Chevy Silverado electric vehicle and there's also been a downturn in the increases in electric vehicles," said Wheaton.

Josh Ayers, the bargaining chairman for UAW Local 11-12 tells 21 News, there are some "legal things" that still need to happen before workers can officially apply for transfer, and at this time the union is still waiting for GM to give them a date for that "window of opportunity."