A recent poll indicates that a majority of Americans support the UAW over automakers in the ongoing labor strike against GM, Ford, and Stellantis. Support is divided along party lines, with more Democrats than Republicans sympathizing with the union. Support for individual UAW demands is mixed.
The poll results were published in a recent Associated Press report, and are based on an AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research study conducted between October 5th and October 9th, 2023. The results are based on interviews conducted with 1,163 U.S. adults, with a margin of error of ± 3.9 percentage points.
According to the study, 36 percent of those participating in the study sympathize with the UAW, while just 9 percent sympathize with the automakers. Twenty-six percent sympathize with both equally, while 27 percent sympathize with neither.
Support is split along party lines, with 55 percent of those supporting the UAW being Democrats, and 22 percent being Republicans. Five percent of those supporting the automakers are Democrats, and 12 percent are Republicans. The majority of Republicans say they support both sides equally, or neither.
President Biden visited a UAW picket line last month, and has offered open support for the union as it strikes at all three of the Big Detroit automakers. Meanwhile, Republican presidential nominee front-runner Donald Trump spoke in Michigan the following day, attacking Biden for pushing the auto industry towards the mass adoption of electric vehicles. The poll indicates that 25 percent of those interviewed approve of Biden’s handling of the strike, while 34 percent disapprove. Meanwhile, Trump was given a 19-percent approval rating on his handling of the strike, and a 39-percent disapproval rating.
With regard to the union’s specific demands, 38 percent of those studied say the UAW’s proposal for a four-day work week is a good thing, while 21 percent think it’s not a good idea. Those studied were also slightly more likely to support limits on the use of temp workers, as well as the inclusion of EV workers as part of the union.
The UAW launched its initial strikes against GM, Ford, and Stellantis on September 15th following the expiration of the previous labor contracts.
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Comments
Its easy to say you don’t hate workers. Kind of a pointless, toothless survey.
This is just a result of automakers reactions to the pandemic by creating neverending, false supply excuses and gouging coming back to bite them in the arse. What goes around…
I work in the parts industry and the supply issues are real.
Delayed imports, lack of materials and laborers have keep things delayed.
Dealers yes, GM no.
Must’ve been a Democrat survey…
Lock them all out…force the UAW to support them with the strike fund. Once the strike fund gets down to its last million or so, I bet the UAW won’t be so quick to turn down a 20% raise. I would bet anything that Comrade Fain is still drawing a full salary…
They must have only polled UAW family members. I don’t know a single person who supports the corrupt, wise-guy, communistic sloth of ANY union.
GM would forever learn my respect if they told these clowns to either get back to work or they’re declaring bankruptcy AGAIN (ending their pensions) and moving all production out of the country. You bite the hand that feeds, there need to be repercussions. It’s a JOB not an entitlement program. If you don’t like it, go find something better.
He is. According to the NY Times he’s making $207K. That’s before total compensation too. #EatTheRich…
I would like to know where this Poll was taken????
Those of you suggesting GM declare bankruptcy obviously aren’t stockholders. Why would you want all stockholders to lose their investments. (I guess you want UPS to declare bankruptcy also since they paid more than 20% in raises this year).
I guess all the wannabe lawyers on here don’t realize that GM cannot legally declare bankruptcy even if they wanted to. Bankruptcy is a declaration that your liabilities exceed your assets. GM is pretty profitable and made about $10 Billion in 2022 and seems poised to do about the same in 2023. GM’s assets surely exceed their liabilities and they do not qualify for bankruptcy protection.
I was a stockholder the last time GM declared bankruptcy. Fool me once. You lose your money gambling on a repeat loser, that’s on you.
The nonsense trolls are at it again.
Did they ask the poll participants what of car they drive? I buy American but in my liberal democratic CA neighborhood American cars are almost non-existent.
I am sure that the union supporters aren’t buying American anyway so they do not care about the big price increases coming if the greedy union members got all of their demands.
100% Correct.
Didn’t poll me, auto companies will do just like the cigarette companies did when they got sued for millions, just pass it on to the consumers. I have a truck setting on the assembly line in Missouri and if price goes up because of this strike somebody else will own it. 76 years old and never owned anything but GM but might have to look over the fence. I do believe CEO’s are way over paid
Marxism is built around division, resentment, jealousy, hatred, angst and the removal of personal responsibility. This leads to the masses being lead by a totalitarian government (Marxism). “We know best and you will obey.”.
What we are seeing are divisive tactics using race, religion, economic class, sexual preference, etc.. As the child/grandchild/greatgrandchild of union workers, the unions have been weaponized. They have transformed from a brotherhood of seeking fair wages, to a gaggle of crooked cretins that want to drive a wedge between economic classes. Do I agree with all of Mary Barra’s decisions? Heck no. Even as a 4th generation GM customer, I believe that she has GM on the path to failure. However, she still heads a multibillion dollar company. With this being said, I also do not believe that a GM line-worker (installing seat belts), should make $80+ per hour. The Big 3 have offered tremendous increases in pay, benefits and more. This massive strike (across multiple fields of work), is meant to cripple the US and divide its citizens even further. Turn off the tv and open your minds.
Somewhere, Mao Zedong and Joseph Stalin are laughing and high fiving, while Pol Pot mixes the drinks.
Mary & the EV people are leading GM to complete destruction.
I have a question. Part of the strike is for a 4-day work week. Do they want to work 10 hours a day to do a 40-hour work week, or work 4- eight-hour days for a 32-hour work week?
40 hours of pay, for only working 32 hours, which comes out to a 20% raise immediately (not over the next 4 years). That’s why they were asking for closer to 40% initially (20% now only working 4 days a week, and 20% more over 4 years among other demands). I think it’s down to the mid 30’s now, on the UAW side. While GM offered 20% over 4 years. Fain should take the 20% offer now before it goes lower, in my opinion. I believe Fain is trying to make his mark, before a good portion of the UAW members are replaced by machines building EVs. I’m sure “he” isn’t living on $500 a week. I feel bad for the UAW members forced to strike. However, I feel worse for all of the other people this strike is effecting!!! All of the small businesses, and let’s not forget the consumers that need parts or are thinking of buying a vehicle. This needs to end quickly, fairly, & equitably (for both sides) before it destroys the auto industry as we now know it.
First I was not asked. Second, I was looking to add a new 3500 HD this year, $100,000 is a stupid price! So now I am spending around $7000 to refurb my old 2006 GMC 3500 Duramax.
In short people making only a decent wage with long hours CAN NOT afford a vehicle made by people working short hours for more money than they are actually worth! And yes the manufactures are robbing us also, but not to the same tune as the lazy UAW!!!
Automotive vehicle sales is a very competitive worldwide market. This is something that appears to be lost to the UAW.
The cost to produce a vehicle is based on Labor costs, parts and material costs etc..
In this competitive world wide market there is already a large import tax which protects the US auto manufacturers. If you remove this tax you will see the true pricing difference between the US and non US auto makers. Meaning US made vehicles are already priced too high because they cost to much to produce and labor costs are big part of that.
Obviously if labor costs are raised 20 to 40% this will:
* Require to be paid for quite clearly by raising vehicle purchase prices.
* Gift a significantly higher market share to all the other manufacturers as they sell more and more cars at lower prices to the US manufacturers.
* Lower the price to earnings ratio of the US auto manufacturers and correspondingly lower their the valuation and stock price.
* Lower sales requires less production, less materials, less parts and of course LESS WORKERS with LOWER pay.
* Create an ever shrinking labor force for the auto manufacturers, parts suppliers and raw materials.
* Less jobs means more unemployed workers and a worsening US economy.
UAW is in the process of demanding what is not in anyway beneficial to the US consumer, US economy, investors or the workers represented my the UAW in the long term and perhaps no all that long.
their attitude of these supporting people will change once they want to buy a new car and can’t.
Of course they do. They have no skin in the game. Until of course until the next time they go to buy a new car. That’s when these idiots will realize what they supported. Also when the factories close as the jobs disappear and their towns become ghost towns riddled with crime. But hey, go ahead. Makes no difference to me.
Polls are corrupt much like the politicians. But hey….let’s go Brandon and put the uaw out of work. Gonna need a lot less workers. Forgein made non union vehicles offer more options for less money. Greed will only speed up your demise.
Many felt like the dealerships fleeced them during covid. The deals evaporated, interest rates shot up, vehicles were not restocked, many were sold above MSRP, and media articles covered dealerships bragging about how good business was with a limited supply of vehicles. Whether warranted or not, the manufacturers need to win back public sentiment.
My wants a new Cadillac XT4. Nearest Cadillac dealer (4 hrs away since the one 45 minutes away dropped the brand rather than a half million or more to “update” to sell EV virtually no one in NE MS even wants), had 3 2024’s before that plant went on strike at $750 or so off MSRP. They still have those 3 now at MSRP. She has a well equipped 2020 Equinox LT with 26k miles which is paid for. We can wait.
Whatever the pay/benefits package ends up being, it will translate directly into increased MSRP’s. People that support the UAW strike seem to think that the raises will somehow be paid for by docking those “rich” people at the top of the company. What a joke! It will be paid for by GM customers. I was seriously thinking about getting a new GMC Canyon to replace my 2015 Colorado. But due to the strike, inventory will be depleted meaning that choices will be poor and prices will be raised and non-negotiable. If the strike goes on long enough, I may be buying a ‘24 Tacoma instead.
“According to the study.” Why didn’t GMA list the source? Sounds like propaganda to me.
Why would anyone be against the workers?
Huh looks to me like just over 1/3 support the cry baby UAW members 🙂 LOL
It galls me that workers already making $82K a year need a huge increase in addition to all the other lush benefits they receive. This UAW head is only trying to make a name for himself. Go ahead, sir, and kill the goose that laid the golden egg.
Great comment except that my wife worked 4 days, 32 hours per week in a GM assembly plant with a third shift 10% shift premium and brought home $25,000 for a 52 week year last year. Vacation days earned-0. Paid sick days-0. Some holidays like Memorial Day, Christmas and New years not paid because of a weird formula based on how many of the preceding same days of the week were worked. Benefits were much slimmer also. Go to the doctor and GM BCBS paid nothing but if you also needed an x-ray or blood test that was covered.