The United Auto Workers launched a historic strike late Thursday by targeting all three Detroit automakers at once after contract negotiations failed to land a new deal.

UAW members at three assembly plants in Michigan, Ohio, and Missouri went on strike after their labor contracts expired at 11:59 p.m. The strike, which the union calls the “Stand Up Strike,” targets specific plants of Ford Motor Co., General Motors and Stellantis, which makes Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Fiat brands.

Union leaders have said they will select new target plants to take out on strike in various waves if negotiations continue to fail to land new agreements with the auto companies. The strategy is designed to keep the automakers off-guard and leverage the union’s position to secure a better contract than the offers the Detroit automakers have made so far.

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