The AFL-CIO, which commissioned the poll, said the union had never seen support levels that high.
As labor activity is surging across the country, polling has found that young people are saying they favor unions at overwhelmingly high levels — support that labor organizers say is “unprecedented.”
According to polling by GBAO conducted for the AFL-CIO, a whopping 88 percent of people under 30 say they approve of labor unions, while 90 percent say they approve of strikes. This is a far higher proportion of support than other groups, with 69 percent of those aged 30 to 49 supporting unions and 67 percent of those over 50 saying the same. Support for strikes is at 72 percent for both age groups.
This is an extraordinary show of support for the labor movement among young people, as the AFL-CIO noted. “Nearly 9 in 10 (88%) people under 30 view unions favorably,” the union wrote in a press release. “We’ve never seen a number that high, which is testament to the deep desire of young people to act collectively to demand respect and dignity on the job.”
Overall, the poll found that 71 percent of voters back unions. Approval cuts across party lines, with 91 percent of Democrats, 69 percent of independents and even a slim majority of Republicans, 52 percent, saying they back labor unions. Support for strikes is higher, at 75 percent overall.
The poll results were released as AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond delivered a State of the Unions address this week.
“The idea of a union may sound complicated, but in reality, unions are just a group of people coming together. They are about each of us becoming the most powerful version of ourselves that we possibly can,” Shuler said in her speech. “People in this country have been searching for their power for a long time now, young people especially.”
Indeed, people under 30 overwhelmingly agreed that it should be easier for people to form a union, at 70 percent, and that unions are needed now more than ever, at 77 percent. Seventy percent agreed with the statement that “society would be better with more people in a union.” Support for these statements was far lower among older voters, hovering around 50 percent.
“Every day, more and more working people are finding out that the labor movement is the solution to low wages and unsafe workplaces, to inequality and discrimination. That the labor movement is the only institution in America that has the infrastructure and reach to address and vanquish oppression in all its forms…. That life truly is better in a union,” said Redmond.
The polling comes as labor activity has reached a fever pitch. Workers at companies like Starbucks and Trader Joe’s have been unionizing locations across the U.S., while hundreds of thousands of workers have gone on strike or voted to authorize a strike this summer. Strikes by Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild contributed to July being one of the busiest months for strikes in several decades, one Washington Post analysis earlier this month found.
Meanwhile, thousands of workers may go on strike soon. Last week, 97 percent of workers at the Big Three automakers — Ford, General Motors and Stellantis — voted to strike if automakers can’t reach a deal with workers before their current contract expires on September 14. On Wednesday, flight attendants for American Airlines also voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, with over 99 percent approval.
I’m the operations manager for a construction company that is signatory to 8 different trade unions. Just about every single union out there has an advisory board that includes employers.
Also, for those who don’t know, it costs a company a significant amount of money to join & be part of a union. I’m all for unions and am happy to see people learning more about them, but they certainly aren’t for every company. A lot of mom & pop small businesses likely couldn’t afford to join if their employees organized.
Absolutely not true. I believe you are confusing a Labor Management Committee - which is a common space for the Union and bosses to meet and discuss issues.
Bosses are not in legitimate Unions.
Source: I serve in an elected position in a sizable Union where I also serve on a Labor Management Committee.
Secondly, Unions are for the Workers - not the bosses. To hell with “costs.” Enough sympathy for these people. If they can’t afford to pay their workers a good wage and provide them a quality work/life balance, they don’t deserve to be in business.
Ha I see we found the carpenter in the group. Our CEO & myself are both current pipefitters bud. And you are correct, I was referring to the employer advisory board on which our CEO & myself sit for our company.
Costs don’t matter as much if you’re operating in an area with sufficient union market presence. Go try starting a union outfit in Idaho and see if your “to hell with costs” ideology holds up lol.
Most small mom & pop outfits fall into that category - their competition isn’t union so unionizing immediately puts them at a huge disadvantage. Outfits like Starbucks on the other hand, they can most certainly afford the added overhead burden.
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Can’t union members vote them on or off? I am not American but how I was taught is that unions are what members make them of. This works here but unions are also not for one job place but for job classes (academics, nurses, doctors and teachers unions are separate for example). This means that employee contracts are negotiated nationally with unions for different employers. It makes the system less likely to be abused.
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B-b-b-but the small business owners!
This is a common conservative talking point to dissuade people from seeking fair pay.
Small business owners are frequently guilty of wage theft, commit frequent labor violations, and lean on their employees to work exorbitant hours the most. These businesses frequently fail within the first year, leaving their employees to find a new job anyway.
It would be better for everyone if the employees were protected from the start, and had to find new jobs sooner rather than later. If the business can’t afford benefits and a decent wage, they should step aside for someone who can
Lfmao you have literally no clue what you’re talking about bud.
You clearly have no idea how unions work and are simply regurgitating whatever incorrect idealistic bullshit you read on Facebook. You’re embarrassing yourself.
Our trade union employer dues (pipefitters, iron workers, electricians, sheet metal tinknockers, carpenters, millwright, laborers and operators) add about 15p on top of our overhead burden. That is the hard cost we pay to the unions to employ union labor, period. Thats before we bill labor at union rates for our work, which are about 30-35p higher than a similar non union tradesman.
Now we make some of that cash back on reduced workers comp rates (union labor is generally less prone to accidents on the job) but out the gate we are generally 30p more expensive than a similar non-union contractor, dollar for dollar.
Conservative talking points lol. Grow up & put down your iPhone bud, not everything boils down to a political debate. These are just the numbers from somebody who literally does this every day for a living.
I guarantee I am much more liberal than your uninformed ass lol. I agree everyone should argue for fair pay but folks most certainly need to be aware that it costs a company a lot of money to join a union. Most mom and pop companies aren’t union because they can’t afford it, especially when their competition isn’t unionized.
I am a union Steward and have been a member for 10 years.