Poll: Don't use unions to lower deficit

NEW YORK, March 1 (UPI) -- A majority of Americans said they support public-sector unions and preserving their right to bargain collectively, a New York Times/CBS News poll indicated.

American adults said they oppose efforts to weaken public employees' collective bargaining rights and cutting pay or benefits to lower state budget deficits, results indicated, even as about a quarter of respondents said they have an unfavorable view of labor unions.

Respondents, along party lines, oppose weakening bargaining rights of public employee unions 60 percent to 33 percent, results released Monday indicated. They also oppose cutting pay or benefits of public employees as a means to eliminate deficits, 56 percent to 37 percent, again along party lines, the Times said.

The poll indicated a majority of respondents who don't have union members in their households opposed both cuts in pay or benefits and eliminating collective bargaining rights of public employees.

Respondents also disagreed with governors who argued public workers are either overpaid or have overly generous health and pension benefits, results indicated. Sixty-one percent of those polled, including just over half of Republicans, said they thought salaries and benefits of most public employees were "about right" or "too low" for the work they do.

Results are based on a nationwide telephone poll of 984 adults conducted Feb. 24-27. The margin of error is 3 percentage points.