Here's why you shouldn't be surprised auto workers are asking for a 46% pay raise

United Auto Workers members march while holding signs at a union rally held near a Stellantis factory Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023, in Detroit.

Mike Householder / Mike Householder

As a potential strike looms over the Detroit Three automakers, the United Auto Workers union is pushing for a substantial pay raise for its members: 46% over four years.

It’s a raise that Marcelina Pedraza, a Ford electrician in Chicago, thinks is long overdue.

“Everything’s going up — the cost of food, gas, mortgage interest rates,” Pedraza said. “A lot of people haven’t been able to have a safety net anymore.”