New UAW Pact Means 3K Jobs, 'A Huge Win For Illinois': Pritzker

BELVIDERE, IL — The ending of a six-week strike among union autoworkers is expected to mean thousands of jobs in Illinois and billions in investment dollars after Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced over the weekend that a shuttered plant in Belvidere will reopen — with more people heading back to work.

Pritzker announced on Saturday that the proposed settlement between General Motors and United Auto Workers union members over the weekend is “good for the state of Illinois.” If a new contract can be ratified, Pritzker said that a shuttered Stellantis plant in Belvidere that has been closed since February will reopen and put 3,000 people back to work while bringing billions of dollars in investment money.

The plant previously employed upwards of 5,000 people as recently as 2019. When the plant closed in February, there were 1,350 employees at the plant building Jeep Cherokees. The plant closed long before the auto strike began six weeks ago, but with an agreement nearly in place, the governor said the reopening of the plant allows workers to get back to the job with higher salaries and expanded benefits as well as “new and valuable opportunities” in a growing industry.

“For over two years, I have been laser-focused on working toward a permanent solution in Belvidere that retains and grows good-paying jobs, while supporting economic development in the surrounding region,” Pritzker said in a statement issued over the weekend.

“Since the plant was idled in February, we've provided support to furloughed autoworkers, while concurrently leading a collaborative effort with local officials and legislators to craft aggressive incentives that position Illinois at the forefront of the EV manufacturing industry.

Pritzker said in the statement that he has been in constant contact with autoworkers, Stellantis executives as well as representatives from the UAW — as well as the White House.

Now with a new pact nearly in place, Pritzker said he will not only be “laser-focused” on re-opening the Belvidere plant, but also on opening a new EV battery factory on nearby vacant land that will bring even more jobs to the region.

UAW Vice President Rich Boyer said in a statement over the weekend that not only is Stellantis committed to re-opening the Belvidere plant, but to also creating at least 1,000 new jobs at a battery plant that will also be housed in Belvidere.

“From the strength of our strike, we are bringing back those jobs and more,” Boyer said in a statement issued by the union.

Chinese battery maker Gotion Hi-Tech has also committed to building a $2 billion battery factory in Manteno which is near Bourbonnais, according to Crain’s Chicago, which reported that the facility will create 2,600 jobs. That deal, Crain’s reported, includes $536 million in tax incentives and even more in property tax concessions from local municipalities.

“I look forward to finalizing the state's economic package and not only reopening the shuttered assembly plant in Belvidere to manufacture electric vehicles but also co-locating a new battery production facility,” Pritzker said. “This will be thousands of jobs, billions in investment, and a huge win for Illinois."