KOKOMO — The automaker formerly known as Chrysler has a big presence in Kokomo, which will grow even more when a plant for electric vehicle batteries opens. The local United Auto Workers chapter says some of those workers will be represented by their union.
"I can't even begin to tell you how much work has been involved in this," said UAW Local 1166 president Dave Willis. "They have a major investment over there, and now they're investing in their people. The people that are out on layoff at Chrysler, or Stellantis, they have the possibility to continue working instead of being just out on layoff."
The electric vehicle battery plant is a joint venture between the automaker, now known as Stellantis after a merger in 2021, and South Korean electronics company Samsung.
The plant recently secured billions of dollars in loans from the federal government. It is expected to fully open in 2026, but Willis said parts of the plant are already active with hundreds of workers on the line.
Willis said there was uncertainty about the battery plant's unionization, but believes the end result of the negotiations is a win for workers and Kokomo.
"The people that are out on layoff at Stellantis, they have the possibility to continue working instead of being just out on layoff."
Stellantis is now in transition. Carlos Tavares, the CEO who led the company since its merger, announced this week he would step down from his position.
Tavares' tenure was marked by a nationwide UAW strike last year and the closure of Stellantis' plant in Tipton, just south of Kokomo, earlier this year.
"With the way Stellantis is operating right now, I'm not upset that he has resigned," Willis said.
Willis believes the company and Kokomo are set to reclaim their glory if they make the right moves from here.
"We just need to get back to where we were, making cars, and making a product these people can purchase and drive with pride," Willis said.
