Labor & Employment Law

New Poll: U.S. Public Opposes Weakening Bargaining Rights

By Tula Connell

The American public opposes weakening the bargaining rights of public employee unions by a margin of nearly two to one: 60 percent to 33 percent, according to a New York Times/CBS poll. 

Those surveyed said they opposed, 56 percent to 37 percent, cutting the pay or benefits of public employees to reduce deficits. A majority of respondents who have no union members living in their households opposed both cuts in pay and benefits and taking away the collective bargaining rights of public employees. While a slim majority of Republicans favored taking away some bargaining rights, they were outnumbered by large majorities of Democrats and independents who said they opposed weakening them.

Tax increases were not as unpopular among those surveyed as they are among many governors, who have vowed to avoid them. Asked how they would choose to reduce their state?s deficits, those polled preferred tax increases over benefit cuts for state workers by nearly two to one. Given a list of options to reduce the deficit, 40 percent said they would increase taxes, 22 percent chose decreasing the benefits of public employees, 20 percent said they would cut financing for roads and 3 percent said they would cut financing for education.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on February 28, 2011 (boomark / email).