Gotion lays out hiring plans, non-union preference for Michigan EV battery factory

In total, Gotion promises 2,350 new direct jobs. The average hourly wage is $24.50, plus benefits.

“The kickoff is not intended to be union,” Thelen said of workers in the plant. “If the workers are unhappy and they wish to unionize, obviously we respect the right to do so. But our preference is that we make our workers so happy that they feel they don’t need a union, and that’s the way you should collaborate with your workforce.”

The median household income in Mecosta County from 2017-21 was $48,440, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The median wage for a production worker in Michigan is about $19 per hour, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In Marshall, Ford Motor Co.’s new EV battery plant is expected to pay an average yearly wage of $45,136, which equates to roughly $22 per hour, according to a breakdown obtained by Crain’s. The UAW said in a statement earlier this year that it “will be able to organize this new facility using a card check to prove majority interest.”

The new jobs being created by LG Energy Solution’s expansion in Holland are expected to pay $65,000 annually, or about $31.25 per hour.