Bloomberg reported that the new demands are part of UAW's opening proposals in contract talks with General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co., and Stellantis NV. The union's current labor agreement with the automakers expires on Sept. 14. 

The Detroit-based union has 150,000 workers producing Chevrolets, Fords, and Jeeps, called for an automatic 20% general wage increase upon ratification of a new contract "to offset the severe impact of inflation" over the last two years of negative real wage growth, according to a write-up obtained by The Detroit News. 

The Detroit News described the new proposal as "the largest pay increase in recent memory." 

Following this, the union asked for 5% wage increases every year for the duration of the agreement, which extends through 2027. This would mean the top wage for workers would be around $47 per hour, nearing the $49 mark recently achieved in a tentative agreement by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters with United Parcel Service Inc.