FILE – United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain holds up a sign at a union rally held near a Stellantis factory Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023, in Detroit. The demands that a more combative United Auto Workers union has made of General Motors, Stellantis and Ford — demands that even the UAW’s president has called “audacious” — are edging it closer to a strike when its current contract ends Sept. 14. (AP Photo/Mike Householder, File)

DETROIT (AP) — A 46% pay raise. A 32-hour week with 40 hours of pay. A restoration of traditional pensions. The demands that a more combative United Auto Workers union has pressed on General Motors, Stellantis and Ford are edging it closer to a strike when its contract ends Sept. 14. The automakers, which are making billions in profits, have dismissed the UAW’s wish list. They argue that its demands are unrealistic at a time of fierce competition as the world shifts from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles. The wide gulf between the sides could mean a strike against one or more of the automakers, which could send already-inflated vehicle prices even higher.