AMERICAN TRADE-UNIONS AND PUBLIC APPROVAL - CAN UNIONS PLEASE ALL OF THE PEOPLE ALL OF THE TIME

Public opinion about labor unions has long been viewed as an important determinant of industrial relations outcomes. Yet, analyses of change s in union popularity over time have been largely qualitative and have focused on the impact of short-term idiosyncratic events. This paper provides a quantitative analysis of the determinants of American publi c approval of unions from 1936 to 1991. Hypotheses relating to the uni on wage advantage, strike activity, the national unemployment rate, an d World War II, receive the strongest support. The implications of the se results for organized labor and future research on attitudes toward unions are discussed.