Detailed Look At Rising Sentiment Among Californians for Union Reform

In what is decidedly a good thing for California as well as the nation at-large, a recent Field Poll shows California Voters Take Negative View of Labor Unions.

 According to the latest Field Poll, California voter views of labor unions have taken a decidedly negative turn over the past two and one-half years. Whereas a March 2011 survey found voters by a four to three margin, believing that labor unions generally do more good than harm, opinions about this have shifted, with more voters now saying they do more harm than good, 45% to 40%.

The poll also finds Californians sharply divided on the question of whether public transit workers should be allowed to go on strike, with 47% feeling they should continue to have this right, while 44% believe they shouldn’t. Voters in the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area, who faced a paralyzing strike by its Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) workers in both July and October and who face the possibility of a third strike, are more likely than voters elsewhere to oppose public transit workers having the right to strike.

Overall Results

Demographic and Political Breakdown

Union Household Trends

• Those on the take at the expense of everyone else (unions) are overwhelmingly pro-union.
• Even among union households, note the sharp 13% increase in the percentage of people who say unions do more harm than good.
• By a 49-35 margin, nonunion households now say unions do more harm than good.

Primary Union Support

• Union households
• Los Angeles County
• San Francisco Bay Area
• Age Group 18-29
• Latinos
• Blacks

The age demographic is interesting. Are teachers pounding pro-union propaganda into kids heads from age six through college?

Support for Ability to Strike

Those in Favor of Ability to Strike

• Democrats
• Independents
• Liberals
• Union households
• Los Angeles County
• Age Group 18-29
• Age Group 30-39
• Latinos
• Blacks

Those Against Strikes

• Republicans
• Conservatives
• San Francisco Bay Area
• 65 and older
• Asians

These results are extremely interesting. Of course we see the expected political breakdowns.

Aging Population an Anti-Union Force?

Those 40-64 are against strikes by a  49-43 margin. Those 65 and older are against strikes by a 50-39 margin.

Those over 65 may be increasingly dependent on reliable public transportation and may be on fixed income as well. Those on fixed income budgets do not like price hikes because their income cannot keep up.

Implications suggest that an aging population is an anti-union force.

Liberals in Favor of Strikes (Until Strikes Happen)

On the humorous side, take a good look at San Francisco which suffered through a massive BART (Bay Area Transportation) strike. For details, please see my October 18 post BART Holds San Francisco Hostage; Best Way to Deal With Public Unions

The San Francisco Bay area, a bastion of liberal foolishness, is now against the ability of public transportation strikes by a 52-41 margin.

Conclusion: Liberals are all in favor of strikes until they are personally affected by them!

What follows is a repeat of things I have stated earlier. Some might not be aware but even FDR saw the light regarding public unions.

Message From FDR

Inquiring minds are reading snips from a Letter from FDR Regarding Collective Bargaining of Public Unions written August 16, 1937.

 All Government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service. It has its distinct and insurmountable limitations when applied to public personnel management.

The very nature and purposes of Government make it impossible for administrative officials to represent fully or to bind the employer in mutual discussions with Government employee organizations.

Particularly, I want to emphasize my conviction that militant tactics have no place in the functions of any organization of Government employees.

A strike of public employees manifests nothing less than an intent on their part to prevent or obstruct the operations of Government until their demands are satisfied. Such action, looking toward the paralysis of Government by those who have sworn to support it, is unthinkable and intolerable.

For more on public union slavery, coercion, bribery, and scapegoating please see …

• Paul Krugman, Stephen Colbert, Bill Maher, others, Ignore Extortion, Bribery, Coercion, and Slavery; No One Should Own You!
• President Obama’s Slave Trade; Senator DeMint Says Team Obama Acts Like Thugs; Death of Right-to-Work?
• Scapegoating Madness

Best Way to Deal With Public Unions

The best way to deal with public unions is to not deal with them at all. Ronald Reagan had the right idea when he fired all of the PATCO workers.

Scott Walker had the right idea in Wisconsin when he ended collective bargaining of some public unions. Unfortunately, Walker failed to include police and firefighters.

Actual Wisconsin results prove Union-Busting is a “Godsend”; Elimination of Collective Bargaining is the Single Best Thing one Can do for School Kids

It’s time to implement national right-to-work laws and put an end to public union collective bargaining nationally.

About the Author:  Mike Shedlock is the editor of the top-rated global economics blog Mish’s Global Economic Trend Analysis, offering insightful commentary every day of the week. He is also a contributing “professor” on Minyanville, a community site focused on economic and financial education.