Unions’ Approval at Lowest Point Since 1981, Poll Finds — 09/01/2006

A new Zogby poll has some unwelcome Labor Day news for union officials: Approval of unions is at its lowest point since 1981, and almost three-quarters of workers in the U.S. say they don’t want to belong to a labor union.

“These results help explain the continued decline of union membership and do not bode well for the future of unions,” said David Denholm, president of the conservative Public Service Research Foundation (PSRF), which studies labor unions and union influence on public policy.

“Working Americans realize that unionism isn’t in their best interests,” Denholm told Cybercast News Service.

In conducting the poll for the PSRF, Zogby International interviewed 803 employed persons selected to accurately represent the demographics of the general American population, Denholm said.

When asked, “In general, do you approve of labor unions?” only 55 percent replied affirmatively. When asked, “Would you personally like to be a member of a labor union?” 74 percent said “No.”

In response to a question about whether they would vote for union representation, a combined total of 58 percent said “probably not” or “definitely not,” compared to a total of 36 percent who said “definitely for” or “probably for.”

“It is interesting that - while only a minority would vote for union representation - even a smaller minority would personally like to be a member of a labor union,” Denholm added. “That may be akin to liking the taste of sausage but not wanting to see it being made.”

While participating in the survey, employees also expressed the belief that unions have too much political clout. Fifty-four percent said that union political influence was “too much,” compared to 38 percent who said it was “not enough.”

The poll also found continuing support among workers for the principle of the “right to work,” which gives employees the option of deciding for themselves whether or not to join or financially support a union.

Sixty-four percent of those surveyed agreed with the statement that “Nobody should be required to join or support a union as a condition of employment,” compared to 33 percent who said that workers who benefit from union representation “should be required to pay their fair share of the cost of union representation.”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 12.5 percent of American workers belong to labor unions.

They must not have included NY….