Support for unions is at its highest level since 2003, according to a Gallup poll.
Sixty-two percent of Americans approve of unions today, up slightly from 61 percent last year.
The earliest Gallup poll, taken in 1936 showed a 72 percent approval rating. That same year, the AFL and CIO created the Non-Partisan League and helped President Roosevelt win re-election to a second term.
The highest approval rating in the poll’s 82-year span is set at 75 percent in 1952, on the heels of the largest strike wave in U.S. history.
Public support for unions dropped in the 1970s to around 58 percent before rebounding in 1990.
Gallup also found that most respondents want union strength to grow, with 65 percent preferring that unions have the same or more influence than they currently have.
Data trends show a connection between the economy and public attitudes about unions. Higher unemployment rates correspond with a higher the percentage of Americans who prefer to see union influence decline. On the other hand, as unemployment rates fall, Americans increasingly favor more influence for unions.
Read the full results here