News

Gallup recently conducted a poll on Americans’ feelings about labor unions with some positive trends.

We have compiled and summarized some of Gallup’s findings and highlights below:

Labor unions continue to enjoy high support in the U.S., with 67% of Americans approving of them, similar to the elevated level seen in recent years after more than a decade of rising support. Mirroring this trend, Americans have gradually become more likely than a decade ago to want unions’ influence to strengthen and to believe unions benefit various aspects of business and the economy.

In contrast to the incremental changes seen in U.S. adults’ support of unions over time, the new poll documents an unprecedented uptick since the prior measure, in 2018, in perceptions that unions in the country will become stronger in the future than they are today. A third of Americans (34%) believe this today, compared with 19% five years ago and no more than 25% at any time in the trend since 1999.

Some summary information from the Gallup poll:

• 67% of Americans approve of labor unions
• 34% of Americans think unions will become stronger in the future than they are today (hasn’t been higher that 25% since 1999)
• 43% want unions to have more influence (highest ever)
• 77% of Americans say unions mostly help rather than hurt members (highest in 20+ years)
• 57% say unions mostly help companies where workers are union (overall, not at the expense of workers)
• 47% of Americans believe unions help rather than hurt nonunion workers (highest in 18 years)
• 61% say unions help rather than hurt the US economy (highest ever)

Americans support unions in current large disputes:

• 72-19% for TV and film writers over studios
• 67-24% for TV and film actors over studios
• 75-19% for auto workers over automakers

Union support among Democrats is higher than among Republicans or independents, but has trended up among all groups since 2009.