The strike is on. On Friday morning at midnight, the United Auto Workers (UAW) shut down three major assembly plants at Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis (formerly Chrysler). It’s the first time in history the union has struck all three companies at once.

New UAW leaders kept a tight lid on which plants they planned to strike, counting on members to be more prepared to quickly swing into action than management. The strategy, so far, seems like a success, with widespread reports of managers caught by surprise, after making costly material moves for strike prep at the wrong plants.

At each striking factory, autoworkers have organized strong, jubilant pickets on barely an hour’s notice. Here are dispatches from Labor Notes reporters on the ground.