A two-day Reuters/Ipsos poll found that both Democrats and Republicans in the United States largely back strikes by auto and Hollywood workers.
Support for the Strike in the Automotive Industry
The poll shows that 58% of Americans favor the historic simultaneous strike called by the United Auto Workers union against auto giants such as Ford Motor, General Motors and Stellantis (parent of Chrysler). These workers are demanding better wages and benefits, while 32% oppose action and 10% remain undecided.
Support for the Hollywood Strike
Also, the poll shows that 60% of Americans support the double strike of writers and actors in the entertainment industry, with the aim of obtaining better wages and greater labor protection. On the other hand, 27% express their opposition, while 13% remain undecided.
Partisan Support
Support for these strikes is particularly strong among Democrats, who have traditionally been allied with unions. An impressive 72% of respondents who identify as Democrats back the autoworker strike, and an overwhelming 79% support the strike in Hollywood.
Although the Republican Party has historically promoted pro-business policies and has been skeptical of the liberal views of many Hollywood celebrities, a considerable number of Republicans also express support for the strikes.
In detail, 48% of Republicans back the autoworker strike, while 47% oppose it. Similarly, 46% are in favor of strikes in Hollywood, while 46% are against.
Impact on the 2024 Presidential Race
The polarization around these strikes has left its mark on the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Former President Donald Trump, who leads the race by a significant margin, plans to skip the upcoming Sept. 27 candidate debate to deliver a speech to autoworkers and other labor union members.
On the other hand, candidates like Nikki Haley and Tim Scott have expressed that autoworkers are demanding too much.
Democratic President Joe Biden, who has backed the United Auto Workers and urged automakers to yield more to striking workers, has made outreach to unions a central pillar of his 2024 re-election bid. In the 2020 election, Biden won 57% of the votes from unionized households, compared to Trump’s 40%, according to Edison Research.
Rise of Union Activism in the U.S.
This survey comes at a time when the United States has seen an uptick in union activism. Through August, before the United Auto Workers strike, a total of 310,000 U.S. workers joined work stoppages, which could make 2023 the most active strike year since 2019.
The poll also reflects broad support for the labor movement at large, even though union membership in the private sector remains at historic lows in the United States. About 61% of respondents believe unions have improved the quality of life for all Americans, while only 35% believe unions are no longer necessary.
In addition, two-thirds of respondents believe CEO and worker wages should rise in equal measure, a central point of the United Auto Workers strike. The online survey was conducted Sept. 19-20 and surveyed 1,005 U.S. adults. Its margin of error is about +/- 4 percentage points, and +/- 6 percentage points for responses from Democrats and Republicans.
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