Labor unions are enjoying their highest levels of approval since 2003 despite recent setbacks in organizing elections.
More than 60 percent of American adults approve of labor unions, according to Gallup, which has measured the popularity of unions since 1936. The findings represented a resurgence for the labor movement after support dipped to 48 percent in 2009—the first time that union support dropped below 50 percent—though it still lags behind union approval over the last several decades.
“After plummeting in 2009, union approval remained lower than in its heyday but began climbing,” Gallup said.
Political partisanship plays a large role in shaping support for labor unions with Democrats, at 81 percent, about twice as likely as Republicans to support them. Republican support has risen from 26 percent in 2009 to 42 percent in 2017. Gallup said the election of Donald Trump may be responsible for the increase in popularity. Trump has made blue-collar job creation a top priority, championing manufacturing and infrastructure spending, as well as his opposition to free trade deals, a position he shares with unions.
