GM, South Korea's LG hook up in EV battery joint venture

General Motors is teaming up with South Korea's LG Chem to build an electric vehicle battery factory in Ohio - which would be one of the biggest battery building facilities in the world.

Plans for the joint venture were announced Thursday.

The two companies will pile in more than $2 billion combined to set up the unit, which will be built near the site of a shuttered GM plant in Lordstown, Ohio.

This joint venture is expected to put more than 1100 people to work.

Sources familiar with the plan said those employees would likely be part of the United Auto Workers union, which would make this the first unionized battery factory in the United States.

GM has come under fire from President Trump for closing factories and shedding jobs.

And Democratic presidential candidates joined the picket line with union workers who went on strike demanding better wages and angry about the use of lower-paid contract employees.

Like most automakers, GM is looking to bolster sales by investing heavily in electric vehicles and newer self-driving technologies.

Construction is set to begin the middle of next year.