SAN FRANCISCO, CA (September 6, 2006) - A new Employment Law Alliance (ELA) poll, surveying working Americans just prior to the Labor Day holiday, finds the nation sharply divided over the perception of organized labor and the role it plays in the changing workplace.In the latest "America At Work" public opinion survey sponsored by the ELA, more than 40% of those polled believe that unions have had a substantial impact on improving the working conditions of average American workers. At the same time, 35% of Americans believe that unions need to focus more on organizing new members and less on electoral politics. This finding is significant in light of last year's rift within the AFL-CIO which saw key unions including the Teamsters and SEIU reportedly breaking away out of frustration that the AFL-CIO was not spending sufficient money and attention on aggressively recruiting new members.

The poll also shed significant light on the reasons why workers turn to organized labor. By far and away, the top four reasons identified by employees as the most important factors driving them to unionization include:

• workplace safety (63%)
• getting better benefits (60%)
• obtaining higher wages (57%)
• increasing job security (54%)

Workers reported that factors related to poor management were much less important in deciding whether to join a union: poor communication (34%); inconsistent discipline (33%); having union representatives speak on their behalf (31%); and managers playing favorites (29%).

Stephen J. Hirschfeld, the ELA's CEO and a labor and employment law attorney with the California-based law firm of Curiale Dellaverson Hirschfeld & Kraemer, LLP, finds the poll results revealing. "These results indicate to me that most companies have done an effective job dealing with employee relations issues such as workplace respect, effective communication and consistent discipline," said Hirschfeld. "Those factors used to be the primary drivers which caused employees to look to unions for help. Now, for the first time, employees are telling us that workplace safety, wages, benefits and job security are areas where they think unions will do a more effective job in helping their plight."

Hirschfeld added, "In light of recent corporate scandals, news reports indicating executive manipulation of stock options and continued outsourcing of work overseas, executives had better wake up and fast. If management doesn't get its act together, you will see an increase in unionization."