Although Wisconsin and other states have legislated against public employee unions' ability to engage in collective bargaining, Americans interviewed in the latest Economist/YouGov Poll seem willing to let those unions have the right to negotiate-- at least sometimes.
Although only 31% would allow public employee unions to engage in collective bargaining on all issues, 29% would allow collective bargaining on at least some issues. Only 17% reject public employee collective bargaining completely.
Those in union and public employee households are more supportive of collective bargaining, as are Democrats. But 47% of Republicans support public employee union collective bargaining at least on some issues.
But there is some opposition even from those who could be directly affected: half of those in public employee households favor some limitations on the bargaining rights of public employee unions. 42% of those in union households agree.
Through collective bargaining, workers are able to act as a group to negotiate such things as wages, benefits, and working conditions. Do you support or oppose the right of public employees to collective bargaining?
| Party | Tea Party Follower | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A | 48% | 14% | 30% | 6% | 36% |
B | 22% | 37% | 38% | 44% | 26% |
C | 5% | 36% | 20% | 44% | 11% |
D | 25% | 14% | 12% | 6% | 27% |
A | 43% | 28% |
| 37% | 29% |
B | 32% | 28% |
| 35% | 27% |
C | 10% | 18% |
| 17% | 17% |
D | 15% | 26% |
| 11% | 27% |
(A) Support collective bargaining on all employment issues | |||||
Image source: flickr ( Phil Roeder (backlogged!) )
