Labor & Employment Law

New Poll: Wisconsin Voters Like Teachers, But Not Gov. Walker

By James Parks

Yet another poll in Wisconsin shows the public is strongly opposed to Gov. Scott Walker’s attacks on public employees’ freedom to bargain for good middle-class jobs.  The latest poll, commissioned by a conservative think tank, the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute (WPRI), shows 51 percent of voters disapprove of Walker’s plan, and nearly two of three (65 percent) say he should compromise on his budget proposal and its anti-public employee union provisions.

Democrats in the state legislature, public employee unions in general, and teachers’ unions in particular, all have much higher favorable ratings than Walker does. Democrats in the legislature?including the Wisconsin 14, state senators who left the state to block a vote on the proposals?received a 50 percent favorable rating, with 42 percent disapproving of the job they’re doing. Fifty-nine percent of voters view public employee unions and teachers’ unions favorably.

Voters say they do not approve of the job Walker is doing by a 53 percent to 43 percent margin. That’s also the margin when it comes to Walker’s personal favorable rating.

Check out the WPRI poll here. This poll is just the latest to show Walker’s attacks on public workers is turning off voters. Check out reports on other polls here and here.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on March 07, 2011 (boomark / email).