>> THE UNITED AUTO WORKER'S UNION TODAY EXPANDED THE NATIONWIDE PICKET LINE AGAINST THE COUNTRY'S THREE LARGEST CONSIDER MANUFACTURERS.

IT'S BEEN TWO WEEKS SINCE U.A.W.

FIRST WALKED OFF THE JOB TO STRIKE GENERAL MOTORS, FORD AND CHRYSLER PARENT COMPANIES.

IT'S BEEN ONE WEEK SINCE THE AUTO PARTS MAKERS JOINED THEM, INCLUDING TWO WISCONSIN PLANTS IN MILWAUKEE AND HUDSON.

MARISA WOJCIK HAS MORE.

[CHANTING] >> NOBODY'S EVER DONE THIS IN THE HISTORY OF THE U.A.W., PUT ALL THREE OUT.

>> IN WEEKLY WAVES, UNITED AUTO WORKERS ARE JOINING THE PICKET LINE, STRIKING THE COUNTRY'S THREE CAR MANUFACTURING GIANTS.

>> NOTIFIED MY MEMBERS THAT MORNING AT APPROXIMATELY 9:00 THAT GET READY TO GO, WE'LL BE WALKING AT 11:00.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID.

>> STEVE IS THE PRESIDENT OF U.A.W.

LOCAL 722 A AT A GM FACILITY IN HUDSON.

HIS MEMBERS WHO VOTED 97% IN FAVOR TO STRIKE STAND WITH AUTO WORKERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WITH THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF RENEGOTIATING 146,000 CONTRACTS.

FOR MEMBERS, THE PURPOSE IS SIMPLE.

>> STRIKING FOR OUR RIGHTS.

>> Reporter: ONE MAJOR DEMAND IS A 36% WAGE INCREASE AND COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENTS.

>> I ACTUALLY MAKE LESS MONEY TODAY THAN I DID WHEN I HIRED IN AT GENERAL MOTORS IN 1986.

>> Reporter: DEPRESSED WAGES HIT WORKERS HARD AMIDST SOARING INFLATION.

>> A LOT OF THEM HAVE TO WORK THE OVERTIME AND EVEN HAVE SECOND JOBS BECAUSE THEY CAN'T SURVIVE ON THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY.

>> Reporter: ANOTHER PRIMARY DEMAND IS AN END TO THE TWO-TIER SYSTEM.

>> THEY CAN START PEOPLE AT LOWER WAGES AND THEY WOULD NEVER ACTUALLY GET FULL WAGE WAS THE LIKE THE LEGACY EMPLOYEES DID.

IT'S BITING THE WORKFORCE AND IT HAS CAUSED ANIMOSITY BETWEEN WORKERS.

>> Reporter: THE UNION SAYS HOW THEY GOT HERE DATES BACK TO 2009, WHEN FORD, CHRYSLER AND GENERAL MOTORS FACED BANKRUPTCY.

A FEDERAL BAIL-OUT SAVED THEM FROM COMPLETE COLLAPSE.

>> ONE OF THE CONDITIONS OF THAT BAIL-OUT BILL WAS THAT THE UNION HAD TO REALLY OPEN THE CONTRACT AND SACRIFICE A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE HAD NEGOTIATED, AND NOW THAT THESE COMPANIES ARE MAKING, THE THREE OF THEM HAVE MADE QUARTER OF A TRILLION DOLLARS IN PROFITS THE LAST 10 YEARS.

>> IT HAS TO COME BACK AROUND.

WE GAVE WHEN THEY WERE BANKRUPT, GOING DOWN THE TUBES.

WE GAVE.

NOW IT'S TIME TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF THAT BACK.

THAT'S ALL WE ASK.

>> WE PRODUCE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN PROFITS PER MONTH OUT OF HERE.

>> JOE IS THE LOCAL PRESIDENT WHICH REPRESENTS WORKERS AT A FACILITY IN MILWAUKEE, CHRYSLER, A LOCATION NOW AT RISK OF CLOSURE.

>> ANY TIME YOU'RE ON A TRAFFIC BLOCK, YOU'VE GOT TO WATCH.

>> A COMMON THEME AMONG THESE UNION VETERANS IS FIGHTING FOR THE NEXT GENERATION.

>> I'M FIGHTING FOR THESE YOUNG PEOPLE WITH YOUNG FAMILIES.

>> AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING, BRINGING THESE YOUNGER KIDS UP TO LEARN HOW TO DO THESE THINGS SO THAT WHEN WE'RE GONE, THEY CAN TAKE OVER.

>> WHILE NEGOTIATIONS HAVE BEEN ONGOING, AN END DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE IN SIGHT AS THE UNION EXPANDED STRIKES FRIDAY TO 25,000 PEOPLE.

THE U.A.W.

STRIKE MIRRORS THE NATIONAL RESURGENCE FOR UNIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

>> YOU'RE SEEING A LOT OF PEOPLE ORGANIZING NOW.

PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF IT AND THEY'RE FIGHTING BACK AND THAT'S A GOOD THING BECAUSE WE NEEDED THAT TO HAPPEN IN THIS COUNTRY.

>> IF IT WASN'T FOR THE UNION, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE 40-HOUR WORK WEEKS, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE PAID HOLIDAYS, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE EIGHT-HOUR WORK DAYS.

THE UNION FIGHTS FOR EVERYBODY, WHETHER THEY KNOW IT OR NOT, BECAUSE WHAT WE DO DRIVES THE COMMUNITY, IT DRIVES THE AREA.

>> Reporter: REPORTING FOR