UAW President Shawn Fain said workers across the battery supply chain from electric vehicles to agricultural equipment should have the right to organize. "We applaud Sparkz for doing the right thing in agreeing not to interfere with workers' right to join a union, and look forward to winning a strong contract that sets the standard for the battery industry," he said in a statement. California will be the first location for the company union partnership. "We have to ensure the hardworking people who build our world-class economy are valued and prioritized," California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement. Sparkz announced plans in August 2022 to establish material processing and module and cell production in West Virginia. It said it will continue work with the United Mine Workers of America in West Virginia on that project aiming to help coal workers transition to new energy jobs. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Sonali Paul)
By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, April 25 (Reuters) - California-based
battery manufacturer startup Sparkz Inc said Tuesday it had
agreed to a partnership with the United Auto Workers (UAW) union
as it finalizes plans to begin commercializing zero-cobalt,
zero-nickel battery production.
The UAW has been working to organize new battery facilities
as the auto industry shifts to electric vehicle production.
Sparkz and the UAW said they had signed a memorandum of
understanding establishing a national labor-management agreement
and statement of neutrality.
"Sparkz is proud to partner with the United Auto Workers to
secure the American worker's place in the new energy economy,
while re-engineering the battery supply chain domestically," CEO
Sanjiv Malhotra said in a statement.
White House climate adviser John Podesta praised the
announcement.
"With this partnership, Sparkz and UAW are helping create
good-paying, high-quality American jobs building batteries for
our clean energy and transportation future," he said in a
statement.
Sparkz is working to complete plans for its first GigaCampus
location in California's Central Valley to produce its high
energy-density battery and plans to initially employ 500
workers.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.