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Americans Support Striking UAW Over Automakers: Report

Barring some miraculous turnaround, tomorrow will mark one month since the United Auto Workers (UAW) began its targeted strike against Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis. Just yesterday, the union expanded its strike against Ford, in particular, by walking out of the Kentucky Truck plant, a move that reportedly stems from The Blue Oval’s refusal to increase its economics-related offer to the UAW. While the two sides work to hammer out a deal, a recent poll conducted by Reuters found that 58 percent of Americans support the UAW strike, versus 32 percent who oppose it and 10 percent that indicated they were unsure which side to support. Now, The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research has conducted its own poll on this matter, which produced similar results, according to the Associated Press.

This new poll found that 36 percent of Americans sympathize with union workers, versus just six percent who side with automakers, while 26 percent support both equally and 27 percent support neither side. A total of 51 percent of those polled said that they believe labor unions help workers, versus 15 percent who say they hurt the working class, while 33 percent believe unions help the economy versus 22 percent that believe they hurt it. Additionally, 60 percent said that they think better pay for auto workers would be a good thing.

This latest poll was conducted using responses from 1,163 adults gathered earlier this month, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to represent the overall U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points

United Auto Workers UAW Strike Ford Michigan Assembly Plant

As Ford Authority reported yesterday, FoMoCo and the UAW remain at an impasse on two topics, in particular – the union’s desire to restore the same retirement security that was previously provided by pre-2007 defined benefit pension plans, as well as include joint-venture EV battery plants in the union’s master contracts with automakers, which is something that GM reportedly agreed to do last week to avoid a strike at its Arlington, Texas plant – though thus far, Ford has been reluctant to follow suit.

We’ll have more on the UAW strike soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more 2023 Ford-UAW news, UAW news, and ongoing Ford news coverage.

Brett's lost track of all the Fords he's owned over the years and how much he's spent modifying them, but his current money pits include an S550 Mustang and 13th gen F-150.

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Comments

  1. We all know who they poll, those that give them the answer they want. I’m not interested in paying more for my transportation. Assembly line workers skills don’t warrant the type of pay they seek.

    Reply
  2. Poll investors uaw workers want to much 1000s of immigrants that need jobs get rid of the unions hire people that will not bite off the hand that feeds them . Hire immigrants ford will fill all of the needed jobs in a week and will not be held hostage to unions every 4 years Americans do not care and like to pay more or just stupid hire immigrants but no one cares

    Reply
    1. Build the wall and hire illegals

      Reply
  3. I support a fair days pay for a fair days work. But UAW leadership has to face the reality of Mexico and Canada production. Mexico plants in particular. Cost of labor a lot less. NAFT hurt domestic production of everything. Fair or not, that is a reality.

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  4. I doubt this information. I feel very few, if any, automobile shoppers that will accept paying a much higher price for a new vehicle to support these overpaid UAW workers ridiculous demands. When the smoke clears, I bet the winners will be the higher quality built imported vehicles. Sad to say, dollar for dollar the so called big 3 will loose every time.

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    1. I agree the UAW demands are just ridiculous. Time for the big 3 to move production elsewhere. However, I do disagree the imported vehicles have higher quality. There was a time when that was true, but not any more. On top of that, the normal maintenance and repairs for imported vehicles is far more than the big 3. Take an Audi in for annual maintenance and it’s hundreds of dollars even if the car is running fine.

      Reply
      1. Get realistic. The Audi is a piece of junk; It has always had build qualities like cooling and electrical problems.
        Look at a 2019 Q70 Infinity or a 2024 Lexus ES 350 Sport.

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        1. Audi was used as an example and I agree with him. I’ve owned domestic and foreign brands – the foreign brands cost more to maintain because parts costs are 2-3X what I have paid for parts for domestic brands.

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          1. But a Ford and an Audi aren’t on the same level of initial cost either. One is considered a “luxury” or “performance vehicle” and the other isn’t (Ford). I personally have no interest in German cars, they all seem to need more maintenance. I’ll take a Toyota or Honda any day though. Maintenance isn’t any more, and is much more reliable. I haven’t heard or too many (if any) “Big 3” vehicles with 395,000 mile on it with the same engine, but I have an old Tacoma with that on it. Minor parts changed here or there, but all original powertrain as far as transmission, engine, etc.

            Reply
  5. The numbers in the article don’t match the headline. It’s misleading.

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  6. These numbers are fairly meaningless, as the majority of American car buyers don’t buy UAW made vehicles. It’s easy to say you support the Union when it won’t affect your personal finances in any fashion.

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  7. They should be on parity… with American autoworkers at: Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mazda, Subaru, VW, Hyundai, Kia, MB, BMW. Is THAT what they want? Geeze, they forced GM & Chrysler into bankruptcy. Kill the geese that lay the golden eggs.

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  8. +1 union made

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  9. Unbelievable. Let’s see how much people support the UAW’s ridiculous demands when their next car costs a shocking amount more. The polling question that needs to be asked is: “will you still support the UAW when, as a result of their demands, the average cost of your next car goes up from $50,000 to $100,000?” This could well be the death knell of the U.S. auto industry, then they will have no jobs.

    Reply
  10. So let me start by saying the labor cost of a vehicle is 6 to 10%, Mexico builds vehicles and get paid around 7.50hr and those vehicles are no cheaper than usa built vehicles, vehicle prices are set by corporate greed and dealer mark up! First digit of vin# 1,4,5 North America 2 canada and 3 mexico

    Reply
  11. The greed of automakers has created this nightmare. When they only build $45K+ vehicles, then this is the result. The people who build them cant afford to buy one and get pissed. Nice business plan.

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    1. Dave, it’s not the automakers greed. They have a board of directors that has to answer to……Shareholders. Yes, the private sector that choose to invest in the automakers business expect to make a little money on their investment. We all expect to make money our investments, it’s called retirement. I am one of those investors. I own stock and have a 401 retirement plan. So automakers are help accountable to the shareholders. So if you’re going to play the blame game, blame private sector investors.

      Reply
  12. Oh this poll is such BS. Where did this “Poll” take place? Detroit? Chicago? New York? Surely didn’t take place is reality America. There’s no way this is the voice of America. Why? There’s no way consumer’s will accept paying more, period. Keep it up you Union leaders, you will force the automakers to seek refuge in Mexico if it’s not already happening….oh wait, it is already happening. Remember one golden rule, the one with the gold, rules. Ford has the gold and free markets dictates the direction Ford will go. Then all of you will be out of a job.

    Reply

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