Labor unions are growing more popular even though working people are coming under increasing attack from right-wing lawmakers who dominate American politics.
Sixty-one percent of adults approve of unions, the highest percentage since 2003, a new Gallup poll shows. Union support is up 5 percentage points since Gallup’s 2016 survey.
Support for the labor movement plunged during the recession that gripped the nation in the waning days of the George W. Bush presidency and hobbled the economy through much of President Barack Obama’s first term. That’s now a thing of the past.
“Unions have regained the approval of the American people after dropping during the Great Recession,” Gallup reports, adding that labor support is up 13 percentage points since the all-time low of 48 in 2009.
That’s not all. Thirty-nine percent of adults Gallup polled this year – a new high – say unions must have greater influence.