Detroit’s striking auto workers want a 36% pay hike, mostly to cover inflation. Morgan Stanley thinks automakers can afford it

Nearly 13,000 auto workers left their jobs at key factories for picket lines on Friday after union leaders failed to agree to a contract with Detroit’s Big Three automakers.

United Auto Workers leaders are asking for a 32-hour week for full-time pay, the restoration of traditional pensions, retiree medical benefits, and more. But perhaps most importantly, they’re looking for a significant pay raise for their members. Union leaders initially targeted a 46% pay bump, but have since dropped…