In a video posted by the UAW, President Shawn Fain announced a new strike deadline for this Friday, Sept. 22 at noon. If Ford, General Motors or Stellantis have not made substantial progress toward a fair agreement by this time, the UAW stated it will call on more members to join the "Stand Up Strike."

The UAW is pushing for major improvements in a number of areas, including wages, cost-of-living adjustments, job security, work-life balance and retiree benefits.

"For the first time in our union's history, we're on strike at all three of the Big Three," Fain said in the video, adding that this is a new approach to striking where, instead of striking all plants all at once, select locals are called on to stand up and walk out on strike.

"Our pay has risen a mere 6% over the last four years," Fain said. "Due to inflation, an auto worker today is making less in real wages than we made 20 years ago."

The UAW previously gave the Big Three a deadline of September 14 to respond to the UAW’s demands. 

"It took them more than a month to get to the table," Fain said. "We had to file federal charges against two of them at the Labor Board to get them to start bargaining in good faith."