After decades of political attacks against labor unions the percentage of U.S. workers in unions in 2016 dropped to 10.7 percent of the workforce.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that all told 16.3 million American workers are covered by union collective bargaining contracts.

And yet in polls going back decades Gallup consistently finds strong public approval for unions. The AFL-CIO says "There are millions of working people who want and need a union but who are being prevented from forming one by their employer. And instead of penalizing bad actors, our outdated labor laws have made union avoidance nothing more than the cost of doing business."

Union members continue to make about $200 more per week on average than non-union workers.