LORDSTOWN — Former General Motors Lordstown Assembly plant employees considering a transfer to work at Ultium Cells may tour the electric-vehicle battery-cell manufacturing plant before making a decision.

In fact, the bargaining chairman of United Auto Workers Local 1112, Josh Ayers, recommends they do it on one of three days scheduled for open houses over the Easter holiday weekend. At the moment, the days penciled in are March 28 and 29, and April 1.

“I encourage any former GM Lordstown employee to take the time and attend an open house because the type of work at Ultium Cells is much different than any assembly line or stamping plant,” Ayers said.

Around 800 ex-Lordstown workers are eligible to apply for a transfer, however, “as to how many will apply and actually transfer is still unknown,” Ayers said.

According to a letter earlier this month from GM to employees eligible to transfer, positions at Ultium Cells are for battery-cell manufacturing. The work departments are electrode, cell formation, quality, material and maintenance.

“More than 60% of employees work in a clean / dry room for cell process and are required to wear special personal protective equipment, including clean room suit, special work shoes, face mask / respirator, safety glasses and hat,” the letter states.

The letter also directed workers to YouTube for a video on what it’s like to work at the plant and a video gallery on Ultium Cells’ website.

There were approximately 1,200 plant employees who transferred. That group includes the employees who were still working at the plant March 6, 2019, when the facility produced its last vehicle, and those who left before Nov. 26, 2018, according to a former Local 1112 official.

The contract UAW union members approved in November when GM folded Ultium Cells employees into the national agreement, provides a six-month window for former Lordstown assembly plant employees working at the plant on Nov. 26, 2018 to apply to work at the battery factory.

The six-month transfer application period ends Sept. 13. Those who come to Ultium Cells would keep their current wages, benefits and seniority.

Those employees who are eligible to transfer were able to start applying through the National Employee Placement Center on Monday.

Ultium Cells is a joint venture between GM and South Korea’s LG Energy Solutions to mass produce battery cells to provide capacity to support the Detroit automaker’s EV assembly in North America.

The facility in Lordstown launched production toward the end of 2022. At last count, the plant employed approximately 2,000 people.

The letter states during the six months, transfer eligibility will be determined on the 15th of each month for the following month’s job openings, and selected employees who transfer to Ultium Cells will do so as GM leased employees.

The first job openings will be posted April 15.

Also, the letter states eligible employees who transfer outside the Ultium Cells area will be eligible for a relocation allowance, but those who transfer are ineligible to transfer back to any UAW-GM facility “unless the employee is on indefinite layoff” from Ultium Cells.