Cobasys Workers Help Cars Go Green

Dayton, Ohio

Members of Local 768 could see their ranks swell to more than 400 thanks to their employer, Cobasys, winning a contract to develop lithium-ion battery system technology for General Motors.

The workers currently produce battery packs for Saturn's VUE hybrid. The packs save energy by powering the cars during stop-and-go traffic when the gasoline system is at its most inefficient.

Employment at the plant has been steadily increasing as the green movement has been growing.

From 40 workers in 2004, employment has grown to more than 100 on three shifts to manufacture 140,000 of the self-recharging batteries last year.

The company also manufactures battery packs with military applications.

"We could not have grown so rapidly and maintained a quality product without the excellent support of the membership," said Jim Greive, Cobasys vice president of marketing.

Currently there are no other plants in North America that produce the same technology as found in the Cobasys battery packs.

"We have the potential for explosive growth," says Local 768 President Gil Woods.