Because Everybody Is Entitled To My Opinion

"O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, . . . in wrath remember mercy" (Habakkuk 3:2).
"Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?" (Psalm 85:6)

Monday, September 04, 2006

Happy Labor Day

Some news to go with your barbeque: Unions' Approval at Lowest Point Since 1981, Poll Finds

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,"

Gee why would that be? Maybe they have priced labor in this country beyond a companies ability to pay and remain competitive? Anyway here are some factoids from the article:
  • 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."

  • When asked if 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."

  • Employees also expressed the belief that unions have too much political clout. 54 percent said that union political influence was "too much," compared to 38 percent who said it was "not enough."

  • 64 percent of those surveyed agreed that "Nobody should be required to join or support a union as a condition of employment"

  • 33 percent 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.
(Hat Tip: David Drake)

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