The UAW Strike: A Battle of Class Warfare and CEO Pay Raises

The United Auto Workers (UAW) union has justified its wage demands by pointing to the 40% pay raises given to CEOs of Detroit's three automakers over the past four years. UAW President Shawn Fain initially demanded a 40% wage increase over four years, but has since lowered it to 36%. However, the CEOs' pay increases are more complex than the UAW's claim suggests, with some CEOs actually seeing a decline in compensation when using an equivalent comparison method. Nonetheless, the pay gap between CEOs and rank-and-file workers remains significant, with the CEOs earning hundreds of times more than the median worker. The UAW's focus on CEO pay reflects a broader trend of labor unions using wealth disparities to advocate for better pay and working conditions.