In particular, he has criticized stagnant wages that do not account for inflation and has called for the end of a tiered employment system that underpays newer employees, the restoration of overtime and retirement benefits that were lost as a result of the 2007–2008 financial crisis, the institution of a four-day workweek, and improved worker protections against plant closures as electric vehicle production increases.

A central concern for the automakers is the cost of labor relative to domestic and foreign non-union competitors, particularly as the industry transitions to electric vehicle manufacturing.

[7][8][9] In announcing the deals with the automakers, UAW instructed workers to return to the job, thus ending the 46-day labor strike on October 30.

The 1945—1946 strike established a strategy, forged by then-UAW president Walter Reuther, to target efforts on a single company.

Since the 1950s, UAW has faced declining union membership and a growing service sector, reducing the economic impact that a strike could have.

Fain called for cost of living adjustments to account for inflation ahead of the current contracts expiring on September 14 and asked for wage increases lost in the 2007–2008 financial crisis.

[27] UAW has asked for an immediate 20 percent raise and yearly gradual increases totaling an hourly pay increase of 46 percent, the restoration of traditional pension payment plans and retiree health care, a four-day workweek, job protections, and a beneficial transition to electric vehicles.

"[41] Hours later, Biden announced his intent to visit Michigan on the 26th, "to join the picket line and stand in solidarity with the men and women of UAW as they fight for a fair share of the value they helped create".

[43] On October 11, an additional 8,700 UAW workers at Ford's Kentucky Truck Assembly walked off and joined the strike.

[47][48] Three days later, on October 28, the UAW announced a similar tentative deal with Stellantis;[49] the same day, 4,000 workers at GM's Spring Hill Manufacturing subsequently joined the strike,[50] despite late-night talks on October 27, at which Fain and General Motors CEO Mary Barra were reportedly present.

[59] Ford, GM, and Stellantis claim that the proposed UAW contract would prevent them from being competitive in the transition to EVs and competing against foreign automakers.

[60] In 2022, president Joe Biden's administration passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which included federal funding and tax incentives for domestic EV manufacturing.

[61] Fain asserts that, with the government incentives, "hundreds of billions of our taxpayer dollars ... are helping fund this, and workers cannot continue to be left behind in that equation".

[63] On September 15, the day after the strike began, the UAW held a rally outside Huntington Place in Detroit, which was then hosting the North American International Auto Show.

[67] Democratic members of Congress from the Detroit area, including Debbie Dingell, Haley Stevens, Shri Thanedar, and Rashida Tlaib, were also in attendance, voicing support for the strike.

[74] Many have joined picket lines at participating facilities; among them, US senators Gary Peters, Sherrod Brown, Bob Casey Jr.,[75] Dick Durbin, Tammy Duckworth, and John Fetterman;[76] US representatives Cori Bush, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,[77] Ro Khanna, Morgan McGarvey, and Elissa Slotkin; Kentucky governor Andy Beshear and lieutenant governor Jacqueline Coleman;[78] Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson;[79] and Louisville mayor Craig Greenberg.

[83] The speech was held an hour prior to the debate, at a non-union Drake Enterprises auto parts plant in the Detroit suburb of Clinton Township.

[84] In the speech, Trump claimed to have "saved American auto manufacturing", and continued his criticism of Biden, accusing him of "destroying unions" and "shipping American jobs overseas", and claiming that his administration's promotion of electric vehicles would lead to losses for automakers, resulting in a rise in imported vehicles and mass layoffs at US plants.

[86][87] Kristina Karamo, chairperson of the Michigan Republican Party, similarly criticized the UAW for their support of Democratic candidates, whom she accused of damaging the US economy.

"[92] In an opinion article, Steven Rattner, who served on Barack Obama's Presidential Task Force on the Auto Industry during the government's restructuring of GM and Chrysler (predecessor of Stellantis) associated with their 2008 bankruptcies, stated that while he feels that the auto workers should get raises, they are asking for too much from an industry with thin profit margins that has stagnated relative to the growth of the overall economy.