Voters Want New to See Legislation Promoting Recertification

Overwhelming numbers believe workers should have voting rights

This past December, the Yankee Institute of Public Policy conducted a voter survey, asking 1,209 registered voters across the state how they felt about the issues of union transparency and union worker voting rights.* Our respondents spanned the political spectrum, with 27% identifying themselves as Democrats, 31% as Independents, 26% as Republicans, and the remaining small percentage as choosing none of the above or preferred not to disclose their party. Here is what they told us:

• 77% believe that union members should have choices when it comes to their union representation.

• 82% of voters believe union members should have the right to vote on the union that represents them at the workplace.

• 75% of voters believe union members should have access to information from a new or different union.

What does this mean? It means that Connecticut voters overwhelmingly support the idea of union recertification election. Recertification election is a rule that would give public union workers the right to vote on which union represents them at the workplace. That means that they would have the right to choose a different or alternate union by way of a vote instead of being given just one choice. Right now, this is not the case in Connecticut. But it could be if legislators were to listen to their voters.

In fact:

• 75% of voters agree that state legislators should allow union recertification election. Nearly half of voters strongly agree.

The data is clear – both union workers and voters both support working voting rights and wish to see recertification – and democracy – brought back to the unions in Connecticut.

*Fielded December 15 to 26, N= 1209, margin of error +/- 3%.