America’s labor movement is gaining support at the moment artificial intelligence is forcing new questions about jobs, wages, and workplace power. A new Gallup survey shows that 71 percent of Americans approve of labor unions, while 47 percent want unions to have more influence than they do today.
That combination points to a major shift in public sentiment. America’s approval of organized labor is higher than it’s been since 1965, and the desire for stronger union influence has reached a record level. The numbers arrive as concerns over AI threatening jobs and the impact of automation shape how Americans view the future of work.
Union Approval Reaches a Historic High
Gallup’s survey captures broad support for organized labor across the country. Seventy-one percent of Americans approve of labor unions, while 23 percent harbor anti-labor sentiment. At the same time, 47 percent say unions should have more influence, creating a clear gap between today’s influence and the role many Americans want unions to play.
The shift also shows up among people who want unions to have less influence. That share fell to 23 percent, down from 26 percent in 2023. The change gives unions more room to organize around concerns that reach beyond traditional workplace disputes, especially as AI and automation reshape the tasks people perform and the skills employers seek.
“America’s approval of organized labor is higher than it’s been since 1965.”
That rise in approval stands out because union membership is far lower than it was six decades ago. In 1965, nearly one in three Americans belonged to a union. In 2025, about one in ten Americans belonged to a union, showing that public support has grown even as membership remains a smaller part of American working life.
AI Puts Workplace Power Back in Focus
Concerns over AI threatening jobs and the impact of automation are linked to much of the popular support for unions. The technology is pushing Americans to ask who benefits when work changes, who absorbs the risk, and whether employees have enough influence over decisions that affect their livelihoods.
Those questions give unions a new organizing message. Instead of focusing only on pay or traditional workplace protections, unions can also address how AI changes jobs, how automation affects skilled trades, and how workers participate in decisions about new technology.
Joe Wilkins, an author and correspondent reporting on union support, described the moment as part of a wider debate about organized labor and changing work. The figures show why that debate is gaining attention: nearly half of Americans want unions to have more influence, and approval has climbed to its highest point since 1965.
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 26 is mentioned in relation to AI growth, connecting the technology debate with the skilled trades. Don Slaiman, political coordinator for the union, said, “We haven’t seen this kind of growth for skilled tradespeople in generations.”
That statement adds another dimension to the story. AI does not affect every type of work in the same way, and the growth of skilled tradespeople creates a powerful contrast with fears about automation. As technology expands, demand for people with specialized skills can grow alongside pressure on other jobs.
A Stronger Role for Unions Could Shape What Comes Next
The labor movement is also organizing around the political stakes of AI and automation. Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, said, “Unions are organizing around wages, AI and the midterms as House Republicans investigate whether some unions improperly used member dues for political activity, allegations Shuler rejects.”
That quote places AI alongside wages and the midterms as a central organizing issue. It also shows how the future of work connects to debates over union influence, political activity, and the role organized labor should play in public life.
Support for unions is not limited to one political group. Fifty-two percent of Republicans approve of unions, adding another important signal to the survey’s findings. The figure shows that union approval reaches across a political divide, even as Americans debate how much influence unions should hold.
The history of labor action adds another point of comparison. The volume of work stoppages peaked at an average duration of 25 days in 1965, when nearly one in three Americans belonged to a union. Today’s lower membership level does not erase the public desire for a stronger labor voice, but it does highlight the distance between approval and participation.
By Sep 12, 2026, the message from the survey is hard to miss: Americans want unions to matter more as AI reshapes work. The central question now is what unions do with that opening. If automation changes jobs, skills, and workplace power, organized labor has a chance to become a larger part of the conversation about who controls the next era of work.
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