Catherwood LibraryILR School

58% of Americans approve of labor unions, and the majority of them believe that unions have gotten weaker, according to a recent Gallup poll conducted in early August. Gallup has been surveying Americans about organized labor since 1936, the year Congress first legalized unions. The American approval rating for union activity has risen and fallen since then, from a high of 72% to a low of 48% in 2009. Interesting findings from the latest survey show that women view unions more favorably than men, support is weakest in the South, and that young people in the age group of 18-34 are the most supportive of all the age groups. Overall, even with the improving economy and despite the 2008 government bailout of auto companies, the majority of those polled approve of unions at a level last seen six years ago, with many wanting to see their influence grow stronger.