How Americans Feel About Labor UnionsHow many people do you know who belong to a labor union? Perhaps you can't name any. Even if you can name a few people, chances are that you can name fewer people than one would have been able to name 50 years ago. In 1954, unions represented 39 percent of workers in the private sector of the U.S. economy; in 2001, they represented only 14 percent. What has happened to diminish the importance of organized labor today? Have unions perhaps outlived their usefulness in a rapidly changing global economy dominated by the service industry? To learn more facts about unions, and how Americans feel about them, visit Public Agenda Online (http://www.publicagenda.org). Under the Issue Guides, click on Economy, next click on Fact File, and from the list select "Union membership is down." Now answer the following question:
The graph shows that union membership is declining. What explanation can you offer for this decline?
Click your web browser's Back, select "Union membership by occupation," and answer these questions:
Which occupation has the highest percentage of workers in unions? Which has the least?
Do you know anyone who is a union member and works in one of these occupations?
Click on your Back button, from the left-hand side of the page under "Public Opinion" click on People's Chief Concerns, then scroll down and click on "About six in 10 Americans say they approve of labor unions, but three-quarters say they have only "some" or "very little: confidence in them."
What percent of Americans have very little confidence in labor unions?
If you had taken this poll, which response would you have selected? Why?
Click on your Back button, click on "Nearly half of Americans say labor unions have too much influence in Washington, but about three-quarters agree they are necessary to protect workers."
What percent of Americans feel labor unions have too much power in Washington?
Do you agree or disagree? Explain.
Do you completely agree, mostly agree, mostly disagree, or completely disagree with the statement, "Labor unions are necessary to protect the working person."
Look at the pie chart on the right-hand side of the page. How does your own opinion compare to other Americans' opinions?
