The United Auto Workers union has announced plans to strike three U.S. assembly plants belonging to General Motors, Ford Motor, and Stellantis. UAW President Shawn Fain made this announcement on Thursday night.

The strikes will take place if the union and automakers fail to reach agreements before the 11:59 p.m. ET deadline. As of Thursday night, sources close to the discussions indicate that the sides are still far apart, making strikes highly likely. Fain had already stated on Wednesday that strikes were likely.

The union has selected the following plants for the strikes: GM’s midsize truck and full-size van plant in Wentzville, Missouri; Ford’s Ranger midsize pickup and Bronco SUV plant in Wayne, Michigan; and Stellantis’ Jeep plant in Toledo, Ohio.

Key proposals from the union include 40% hourly pay increases, a reduced 32-hour work week, a return to traditional pensions, the elimination of compensation tiers, and the restoration of cost-of-living adjustments (COLA). The union is also seeking enhanced retiree benefits and improved vacation and family leave benefits.

The automakers have made significant proposals that address some of the UAW’s demands but not all of them. These proposals include wage increases of around 20%, COLA adjustments, modified profit-sharing bonuses, and enhanced vacation and family leave benefits. However, the union considers these offers inadequate.

Targeted strikes are a strategy used to focus on key plants, which can then disrupt production at other plants due to a lack of parts. While not unprecedented, the way UAW President Shawn Fain plans to conduct these work stoppages is atypical. The plan involves initiating targeted strikes at select plants and potentially increasing the number of strikes based on the progress of the negotiations. Fain referred to these plans as a “stand-up strike,” a reference to historic “sit-down” strikes by the UAW in the 1930s.

Please note that this is a developing story, and more details will be provided as they become available.