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2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Last updated on: 4/22/2016 8:23:17 AM PST

Do Labor Unions Provide an Overall Benefit to Their Workers in the United States?



Pro
Clinton
Clinton

Stein
Stein

Con
Not Clear or Not Found
Johnson
Johnson

Trump
Trump






Pro (Yes)

Pro
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton
Democrat

"When unions are strong, America is strong… Labor unions helped build America's middle class, and organized labor remains critical to fulfilling America's basic bargain: If you work hard and do your part, you should be able to get ahead and stay ahead."

Source: 2016 Hillary for America, "Labor," hillaryclinton.com (accessed Apr. 14, 2016)
Pro
Jill Stein
Jill Stein
Green

"Unions are critical for workers' rights and safety. They are the lifeblood of democracy at the workplace."

Source: Jill Stein, Twitter post, twitter.com, Mar. 24, 2016
Con (No)



Not Clearly Pro or Con
Gary Johnson
Gary Johnson
Libertarian

"I support the notion of right-to-work [legislation that lets employees decide for themselves whether or not they want to join a union or financially support it] and worked hard to see that happen in New Mexico. It didn't while I was governor of New Mexico, but that didn't take away from my support. The only basic problem that I have with unions is the union gives me two workers. One is the worst worker that I've ever seen, the other is the best worker that I've ever had. I can't reward the best, I can't get rid of the worst. Right-to-work, I think, is a decision that states should make. I think based on right-to-work legislation in states across the country, those states that have passed right-to-work have shown much greater economic prosperity as a result of that legislation."

Source: Gary Johnson, "Gov. Gary Johnson Responds to Every Question Asked in CNN Debate He Was Excluded From," youtube.com, June 14, 2011





Not Clearly Pro or Con
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Republican

"I work in areas where we have unions, we don't have unions. Manhattan is a hundred percent - you're building a building, it's essentially a hundred percent union. So I've worked with unions over the years - I've done very well with unions... And I have tremendous support within unions, and I have tremendous support in areas where they don't have unions. Like in Florida, they don't have very many unions. The workers love me. I mean, my support is really with those workers, those people. That's it - the policemen, the firemen, the construction workers, the lathers, the sheetrock workers, the electricians, the plumbers. That's where my support is - every poll shows it. The men and women of the Teamsters are with Trump."

Source: David Sherfinski, "Donald Trump: I Have Tremendous Support within Unions," washingtontimes.com, Feb. 8, 2016






FORMER CANDIDATES
(Candidates who have withdrawn or who no longer meet our criteria appear below in black and white and in alphabetical order.)



Pro
Sanders
Sanders

Con
Not Clear or Not Found
Bush
Bush
Carson
Carson
Christie
Christie
Cruz
Cruz
Fiorina
Fiorina
Graham
Graham
Huckabee
Huckabee
Kasich
Kasich
O'Malley
O'Malley
Paul
Paul
Rubio
Rubio





Pro (Yes)

Pro
Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders
Democrat

"The benefits of joining a union are clear: higher wages, better benefits and a more secure retirement. If we are serious about reducing income and wealth inequality and rebuilding the middle class, we have got to substantially increase the number of union jobs in this country."

Source: Bernie Sanders, "New York's Public Transit Union Endorses Sanders," berniesanders.com, Apr. 13, 2016
Con (No)



None Found
Jeb Bush
Jeb Bush
Republican

Withdrew on Feb. 20, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.





None Found
Ben Carson
Ben Carson
Republican

Withdrew on Mar. 4, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.





None Found
Chris Christie
Chris Christie
Republican

Withdrew on Feb. 10, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.





Not Clearly Pro or Con
Ted Cruz
Ted Cruz
Republican

"I think right-to-work [legislation], it’s a fundamental right, and I think we need to have government that sides with the working men and women of this country, rather than with special interests, rather than with unions and union bosses.

If someone chooses to join a union, that’s their choice, and they should be free to have that choice. But no worker should be forced to join a union against their will, forced to pay union dues out of their paycheck to be used to fund the political partisan agenda of the union bosses, they shouldn't be forced to do that against their will, and when Governor Scott Walker and millions of men and women across Wisconsin stood up and took on the union bosses, it was powerful, it inspired people across the country, it inspired me."

Source: Jay Sorgi, "Ted Cruz to Charlie Sykes: 'Momentum is with US,'" wtmj.com, Mar. 31, 2016





None Found
Carly Fiorina
Carly Fiorina
Republican

Withdrew on Feb. 10, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.





None Found
Lindsey Graham
Lindsey Graham
Republican

Withdrew on Dec. 21, 2015; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.





None Found
Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee
Republican

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.





Not Clearly Pro or Con
John Kasich
John Kasich
Republican

"I don't favor the right to strike of any public employee, ok? That's my personal philosophy. How practical that is to implement, uh you know, but my personal philosophy is I don't like public employees striking. I mean, they've got good jobs, high pay, good benefits, a great retirement, what are they striking for?"

Source: Tanya Somanader, "Kasich: I Don't Favor the Right to Strike of Any Public Employee," thinkprogress.org, Dec. 10, 2010

[Editor's Note: On Mar. 31, 2011 Governor Kasich signed a law (SB 5) that restricted collective bargaining for unionized state employees (voters later overturned the law). Kasich received some union endorsements during his re-election campaign in 2014. In May 2015 Kasich issued an executive order removing home health care contractors and in-home child care contractors from being eligible for collective bargaining with the state. Kasich said those workers were not state employees.]





None Found
Martin O'Malley
Martin O'Malley
Democrat

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.





None Found
Rand Paul
Rand Paul
Republican

Withdrew on Feb. 3, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.





None Found
Marco Rubio
Marco Rubio
Republican

Withdrew on Mar. 15, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.








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