Americans’ Approval of Unions Near Highest Level in Decades (1)

The popularity of unions has risen again, to near the highest level in half a century.

About 64% of Americans approve of labor unions, according to a poll released by analytics firm Gallup Aug. 28. That’s up two percentage points from last year’s survey.

The numbers are a ray of hope for a beleaguered labor movement still trying to recover from decades of membership losses and growing political opposition from “right-to-work” advocates. A number of unions have attempted to capitalize on their growing popularity by setting ambitious organizing goals and targeting industries that were previously unthinkable for them such as ...