early Friday against General Motors, Ford and Stellantis -- the so-called Big Three. Almost 13,000 workers walked out of three auto plants in Michigan, Missouri and Ohio. The union is utilizing a "stand-up" strike method to target specific plants and add to the list if a deal isn't reached.
The UAW held talks with Ford on Saturday, GM on Sunday and plans to meet with Stellantis on Monday, a union source told ABC News. The conversations with Ford were "reasonably productive," the source said. MORE: UAW president reacts to automakers' temporary layoffs of non-striking employees: 'Their plan won't work'
Sticking points in negotiations were wage increases and the length of the workweek. The UAW demanded a 46% pay increase combined over the four-year duration of a new contract, as well as a 32-hour workweek at 40-hour pay. GM and Ford put forward proposals last Thursday that offered workers a 20% pay over the life of the agreement, while Stellantis' proposal included a total 17.5% pay increase. The offers from all three of the Detroit-based companies preserved a 40-hour workweek.
After the unprecedented strike began on Friday, Ford laid off 600 workers who assemble cars at a plant in Michigan. Workers in the paint department at a nearby plant are out on strike, leaving the assembly workers without adequate parts, since the parts require paint before they can be put together into cars, a company spokesperson told ABC News.