Statement by UAW President Shawn Fain on the U.S. Department of Energy Announcing $15.5 Billion in New Grants and Loans to Support a Just Transition to Electric Vehicles

Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $15.5 billion in new grants and loans to support a just transition to electric vehicles. This includes a $2 billion domestic conversion grant program, $10 billion in domestic conversion loans from the DOE Loan Program Office, and $3.5 billion in battery supply chain funding.

UAW President Shawn Fain issued this statement about the new DOE grants and loans:

“The UAW supports and is ready for the transition to a clean auto industry. But the EV transition must be a just transition that ensures auto workers have a place in the new economy. Today’s announcement from the Department of Energy echoes the UAW’s call for strong labor standards tied to all taxpayer funding that goes to auto and manufacturing companies. 

“We are glad to see the Biden Administration doing its part to reject the false choice between a good job and a green job. This new policy makes clear to employers that the EV transition must include strong union partnerships with the high pay and safety standards that generations of UAW members have fought for and won. 

“The Big Three have closed or spun off 65 plants in the last 20 years. The automakers have not yet promised job security in our ongoing negotiations. I have traveled across the country, meeting displaced workers who’ve had to pick up and move their families when plants shut down recently in Belvidere, Ill., Lordstown, Ohio, and Romeo, Mich. These new grants and loans will give plants like these a chance for federal support to ensure those jobs and communities are protected. 

“The UAW looks forward to continue working with the Biden Administration to ensure a just transition for the auto workers in this country.”

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