Sept 14 (Reuters) - A first-ever simultaneous strike at the Detroit Three carmakers by the United Auto Workers grew all but certain on Thursday with little progress reported in talks hours before a contract deadline expires.
The union - which represents 146,000 U.S. auto workers - is asking for 40% pay raises through September 2027 and major improvements in benefits as part of what it calls "audacious" demands.
The UAW has outlined plans for a series of strikes targeting individual, undisclosed U.S. auto plants if agreements are not reached by 11:59 pm ET Thursday, rather than a full walkout. The union plans to disclose the initial plants during a 10 p.m. ET event.
Feeling very 
right now.
I am unfortunately not working in a union shop, however, there's a good chance that this could have enough ripple effects that we couldn't even actually sell/ship product to anybody even if we wanted to. Management seems very nervous about this strike going through, and I'm positively giddy.
Less than 10% of the people that could be striking are doing so due to the milquetoast strategy of leadership. Management is going to respond accordingly - as if the strike were 1/10th as powerful.
Hopefully they change strats soon.
Boo! Maybe the plan was to escalate little by little? Although that seems like it would just keep people out of work longer...
Yeah it's a terrible plan. If I were management I would assume the union is disorganized or their strike fund is small.
Enthusiasm to strike is highest right now and they're squandering it.
It's almost like giant unions are probably paid by government interests to sabotage the whole thing
Paid by the employer, in the case of UAW. Scandal after scandal of leadership taking money and a suspicious fire in their records rooms. The new president was supposed to be in opposition to this, lol.
The most optimistic take I can have would be that they're naive and are getting manipulated into a failing strat by the old guard.