New Poll: Michigan Voters Support Freedom-to-Work Law, Oppose Union Attempts to Subvert It
Despite Big Labor’s Attempts to Change Perception, Three Months after Landmark Vote to Secure Worker Freedom, Public Remains Supportive
LANSING, MI, March 26, 2012 –Michigan voters continue to support the law granting workers the right to choose whether or not to join a union and oppose recent moves by union bosses to subvert the law by extending union contracts according to a new poll released today by Lansing based Marketing Resource Group (MRG).
“While union bosses have spent millions of dollars in members’ dues publicly promoting forced unionization and attempting to undercut their own members’ civil rights, Michigan voters continue to support the state’s new Freedom-to-Work reforms,” said Greg McNeilly, President of the Foundation for Michigan Freedom. “The message from hard working union members and taxpayers is crystal clear – they value the freedom to choose for themselves whether or not to join a union and they are adamantly opposed to 1 percenter union bosses’ attempts to deny them that right.”
With Michigan’s landmark Freedom-to-Work reforms set to go into effect on Thursday, the MRG poll found 49 percent of likely voters support the law passed last December while only 44 percent oppose them.
Also, 48 percent of voters oppose moves by local unions to subvert the law by ramming through contract extensions, while only 38 percent support the unions’ backroom schemes.
The MRG poll surveyed 600 likely Michigan voters and has a margin of error of +/- 4 points. Of those surveyed, 39 percent identify as Democrats, 33 percent as Republicans and 26 percent as ticket splitters or independents.
The Foundation for Michigan Freedom is a statewide non-partisan educational organization providing informational programs, research and analysis concerning fiscal policy, economic freedom, and the elimination of coercive and compulsory policies.
Q1. Last December, the State Legislature and Governor Snyder put into place a right-to-work law in Michigan. This new law makes it illegal to require workers to join labor unions or pay union dues to get or keep a job. Michigan’s right to work law goes into effect on March 27. In general, do you support or oppose a right-to-work law for Michigan? (IF SUPPORT OR OPPOSE ASK: Do you strongly (support/oppose) or just somewhat (support/oppose) it?)
Strongly Support …………………………………………………….. 37%
Somewhat Support …………………………………………………. 12%
Neither (Volunteered) ………………………………………………. 4%
Somewhat Oppose ……………………………………………………. 6%
Strongly Oppose……………………………………………………… 39%
Don’t know ………………………………………………………………. 2%
Refused …………………………………………………………………………*
TOTAL SUPPORT…………………………………………………… 49%
TOTAL OPPOSE …………………………………………………….. 44%
Q2. Since Michigan’s right-to-work law passed, some school and university unions are trying to rush through long-term contract extensions – some up to 10 years – to get around this law before the March 27 deadline. Many of these new contracts include no cost savings for taxpayers. In general, do you support or oppose these union-lead attempts to get around the new right-to-work law? (IF SUPPORT OR OPPOSE ASK: Do you strongly (support/oppose) or just somewhat (support/oppose) them?)
Strongly Support …………………………………………………….. 26%
Somewhat Support …………………………………………………. 12%
Neither (Volunteered) ………………………………………………. 6%
Somewhat Oppose ………………………………………………….. 11%
Strongly Oppose……………………………………………………… 36%
Don’t know ………………………………………………………………. 8%
Refused …………………………………………………………………………*
TOTAL SUPPORT…………………………………………………… 38%
TOTAL OPPOSE …………………………………………………….. 48%
