Not since the late 1950s and early 1960s has the American public’s approval of union labor been as high as it continues to be. In Gallop’s annual Labor Day poll conducted from Aug. 1-20 and released before the holiday weekend, 68% of U.S. adults approve of labor unions. That mark was unchanged from last year, but the fifth consecutive year it has ranged between 67-71%. A similar trend occurred in a nine-year period between 1958-67 when approval ranged from 63-73%. The all-time high approval mark was 75% in 1953 and 1957; the all-time low was 48% in 2009.

Household union membership continues to hold steady. Fifteen percent (15%) of U.S. adults say they live in a household with at least one union member, continuing a 14-21% range started in 2001. The East and the Midwest have double-digit rates of union membership (14 and 12%) while the West and South have the lowest (9 and 6%). The poll also notes people who make more than $50,000 annually are more likely to be labor union members.

“The latest Gallup poll showing strong public support for labor unions should come as no surprise,” said Dan McConnell, President of the Minnesota Building & Construction Trades. “Unions remain a cornerstone of our democracy and a vital safeguard for working people—securing a voice on the job, the 40-hour workweek, safe working conditions, state-of-the-art training, and a middle-class standard of living. In the construction industry especially, unions deliver safety, skill, and opportunity.” 

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