New Report Uncovers Americans’ Freedom to Spend Time with Family Is Eroding

A new Labor Day report unveiled today by the AFL-CIO shows that working people are working more and taking less time with their families. The report is based on findings from a national survey conducted for the AFL-CIO by the polling firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, and was produced in collaboration with the Economic Policy Institute and the Labor Project for Working Families.
More than half of Americans surveyed said they were working more holidays and weekends than ever, and 43% said they brought work home at least one night a week.  Union members are more likely to receive Labor Day off and overtime pay compared with their nonunion counterparts. Sixty-six percent of union members receive overtime pay on Labor Day, compared with 38% of nonunion members. Women, often the primary caregivers in their families, are less likely than men to report access to paid time off—68% vs. 74%.
The majority of American workers credit labor unions for many of the benefits they receive.
Additionally, 72% of those surveyed said they thought unions were either very or somewhat responsible for working people having paid time off on Labor Day and other holidays.
Fifty-four percent of workers would join a union tomorrow if given the option. This includes 41% of Republicans surveyed. Respondents also expressed major concern that weakening unions could hurt workers’ benefits in the future.
Click here for a link to the report.