“Blue Oval City” evokes imaginations of a futuristic, utopian metropolis. In actuality, it is a large automotive manufacturing complex that will become an integral part of the EV supply chain. The joint venture between Ford and Korean company SK Innovation is expected to create 6,000 well-paying jobs for the residents of small, rural communities in Stanton, Tennessee. Although the project promises to benefit surrounding towns like Covington, Brownsville, Jackson, Mississippi, and parts of Kentucky, it brings mixed feelings for working-class, predominantly Black communities in the area. They fear that it will alter the community, deplete natural resources, and bring in new development.
The towns affected by the development are currently in negotiations with Ford and SK to formulate a community benefits agreement that ensures the project will benefit them as much as the companies involved. Local residents are pushing for youth facilities, support for road maintenance, and apprenticeship programs run by local union chapters, among other stipulations. Although Ford has announced community programs, locals want a say in these initiatives.
Community benefits agreements, or CBAs, are powerful in that they forge a contract that holds corporations accountable to communities through binding arbitration to ensure commitments are upheld. These agreements have been successful in other industries and are now being used to address clean energy projects. Since 2015, more than a dozen CBAs have been signed in response to clean energy developments, with the contracts resulting in preferences for local hires and revenue sharing with the community.
Despite facing challenges and roadblocks, the coalition remains hopeful that it can reach a favorable CBA with Ford in the near future. Even if the effort is not immediately successful, the relationships built within the community will only grow stronger, providing possibilities for further negotiation.
