Ford Recently Broke Ground on BlueOval City and Some Are Feeling Grumpy About It

by Chris Teague

Published: November 16th, 2022

ford recently broke ground on blueoval city and some are feeling grumpy about it

Ford is spending more time and money than many other automakers to transform itself into an electric automaker. But while The Blue Oval has received more than a few high-fives for its progress, not everyone is stoked about its approach to reaching its goals.

Ford recently broke ground on BlueOval City in Tennessee, half of a planned two-site solution to producing batteries and developing new electric vehicles. The move frustrated officials in its hometown of Detroit over fears that the auto giant was moving its operations south. At the same time, people in small-town Stanton, Tennessee, are feeling a little overwhelmed with the massive hustle and bustle that comes when a significant automaker opens up shop nearby.

Ford’s moves raised eyebrows in Motor City, as the automaker has given no assurance that its new facilities will employ union labor. In Ford’s defense, however, Tennessee offered the land it desperately needed to grow a thriving and competitive EV business. Labor costs are also lower in Tennessee, which will save Ford a fortune once the site is fully staffed with thousands of employees.

While some are apprehensive, many see opportunity in the shift. Ford wants outreach to communities of color and has developed specialized training programs for rollout in the state’s high schools and tech colleges. Some schools are coaching students on the best skills they can develop to get a job with the automaker. At the same time, Ford is rolling out the red carpet in the community to find applicants and communicate with residents.

[Image: Ford]

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#Ford #BlueOvalCity #ElectricVehicles #Tennessee

Chris Teague

Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.

More by Chris Teague

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11 of 14 comments

SCE to AUX on Nov 16, 2022

"the automaker has given no assurance that its new facilities will employ union labor"

And ultimately, Ford may be selling from company stores instead of dealers.

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- See 1 previous
- Ravenuer on Nov 16, 2022
  
  We can only hope.
  
  Like
- Lou_BC on Nov 16, 2022
  
  "Ford may be selling from company stores"
  That sounds like a line from Tennessee Ernie Ford - "16 Tons".
  
  2
Cprescott on Nov 16, 2022

Who needs unions now that most everything that matters on health and safety has a federal agency to oversee. I know unions are one political party's slush fund. Another reason to end them.

5 Reply
- See 4 previous
- EBFlex on Nov 16, 2022
  
  Bingo. Unions are more like organized crime than anything else. It hasn’t been about the working man (sorry for the gendered language snowflakes) for a very long time
  
  3
- Kjhkjlhkjhkljh kljhjkhjklhkjh on Nov 16, 2022
  
  Yup it is all about the recurring union dues ..
  
  1
- El scotto on Nov 16, 2022
  
  @Cpresscott; Sir, like the t-shirt says: "Skilled labor ain't cheap, cheap labor ain't skilled. Skilled trades have hundreds of hours of classroom and laboratory learning. Throw in continuous learning too. Insurance? Cheaper through the union, thank you very much. On time, on budget, or there are money penalties. Not all of the skilled trades automatically vote for the Democrats.
  @Kjhtoinfinityandbeyond. Sir, The people who ran our union pension fund were accountable to their union members. Do you think someone who walks across I-beams eight hours a day is very concerned about A. Seeing their union rep in person? B. Deeply concerned they may offend their union rep in some matter? I think not.
  I think the anti-union people on here live in some Qanon-influenced, Ayn-Randian world where they sincerely believe that the government delivers absolutely nothing for the public good. They're perfectly fine with a public education system that produces students who can't read a tape measure and overall are sorely lacking in numeracy.
  
  Another little fact that will upset these rugged-macho-he-man snowflakes. You have to get along with other people at a job site. The bigger the job site the more people you have to get along with. Oddly enough, our military works on the same concepts.
  Segueing to Ukraine, kinda military related. I hope lil Slavuta made it across the Dneiper OK. He must not able to get 4g where he is at. If things go as we hope, ebFlexovich's samovar should end up in Kyiv. We can only hope.
  
  I used to be a Union Ironworker. Do you know what we call our union pension? Another income stream. Along with our 401Ks and Roths. Then again, Ironworkers on the job site tend to look down on other people :)
  
  1
- Lou_BC on Nov 16, 2022
  
  "Who needs unions now"
  
  https://www.epi.org/publication/union-decline-lowers-wages-of-nonunion-workers-the-overlooked-reason-why-wages-are-stuck-and-inequality-is-growing/
  
  1
- EBFlex on Nov 17, 2022
  
  "I think the anti-union people on here live in some Qanon-influenced, Ayn-Randian world where they sincerely believe that the government delivers absolutely nothing for the public good. They're perfectly fine with a public education system that produces students who can't read a tape measure and overall are sorely lacking in numeracy."
  Please point to any evidence of one person here intimating any of that nonsense.
  " If things go as we hope, ebFlexovich's samovar should end up in Kyiv. We can only hope."
  
  Im unaware of the reference you are failing to make. But would you like to comment on the Ukraine attacking Poland? Shouldn't that invoke Article 4?
  
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Teddyc73 on Nov 17, 2022

"Ford is spending more time and money than many other automakers to transform itself into an electric automaker." Even though the case has not been made that they are a viable altrernative to gasoline powered cars. They are also detrimental to the environment and to costly. But hey, thanks to out of control Democrat politicians you're going buy one whether you like it or not.

1 Reply
Lou_BC on Nov 17, 2022

Mike Farley just publicly said that building EV's will cause a 40% reduction in labor to build electric vehicles. He also said they want to bring most of the supplier work in house and keep that labour. He even went on to say unionized labour is welcome.

That sounds very newsworthy to investigate.

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