The Kentucky autoworkers, who want to join the United Auto Workers, filed for a union election Tuesday, a key development in the union’s campaign to organize Southern auto-factories and EV battery facilities.

The BlueOval SK plant, owned by a partnership of South Korea's SK On and Ford, is the latest battery battleground for the union.

Workers at a Ford Motor Co.-backed electric vehicle plant have petitioned to unionize with the United Auto Workers, the union announced, calling it the UAW’s first major filing in the South this year.

Workers at a Ford Motor Co. joint-venture battery plant in Kentucky have formally asked the federal government to hold a vote on joining the United Auto Workers, the union said.

The UAW union has petitioned the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to hold an election at the BlueOval SK battery plant in Kentucky.

The United Auto Workers (UAW) is seeking an election at Ford's BlueOval SK battery plant in Kentucky. Despite hiring delays, the UAW claims a strong majority support within the current workforce for unionization.