Nearly 13,000 auto workers left their jobs at key factories for picket lines on Friday after union leaders failed to agree to a contract with Detroit’s Big Three automakers.
United Auto Workers leaders are asking for a 32-hour week for full-time pay, the restoration of traditional pensions, retiree medical benefits, and more. But perhaps most importantly, they’re looking for a significant pay raise for their members. Union leaders initially targeted a 46% pay bump, but have since dropped it to 36%.
The demands—which even the UAW's own president has labeled "audacious"—have led to criticism from the automakers. Ford CEO Jim Farley, who made nearly $21 million in total compensation last year, told CNBC Thursday before the strike that there is no way his company would be “sustainable” if it accepted the UAW’s salary demands, while clarifying that he is still hoping for a “historic deal.”
