In today's DC Examiner, Bret Jacobson weighs in on a recent Gallup release, "Americans remain broadly supportive of unions":

But beyond a simple approval rating, these recent Gallup figures have huge implications for the coming debate over labor law reform and whether to pass the grossly misnamed Employee Free Choice Act. EFCA, which would effectively end secret ballots in workplace union elections and see government-imposed arbitration set contracts for private employers, is the unions’ top political priority. It’s a one-bill union bailout.

Unfortunately for union bosses, the Gallup union-approval numbers show that only one-third of Americans want unions to have more influence. That means two-thirds want unions to maintain or reduce their current level of power in society. Notably, independents show a slight preference for less union influence, rather than more.

Dueling polls from labor and business interests aside, the well-respected Gallup poll delivers no real mandate to hand union officials more power. That means voters aren’t asking for EFCA. Congress shouldn’t, either.