The popularity of provisions significantly limiting collective bargaining rights for public employees in Gov. Scott Walker’s budget repair bill is declining, according to recent nationwide and statewide polls.

After Walker’s proposal began receiving national press coverage, national polling firm Gallup conducted a poll to gauge public opinion on the issue of collective bargaining rights for state employees and found the majority of individuals polled are not in favor of the bill.

Gallup surveyed 1,000 adults from across the nation and discovered significant opposition to the elimination of collective bargaining rights for Wisconsin’s public sector unions, with 61 percent of people nationwide in opposition. However, the nation was divided on whether unions are helpful or harmful to members, the poll suggested.

Other polls on Walker’s bill were released, although they were not conducted by independent poling agencies.

The AFL-CIO, one of the country’s most influential labor unions, released a poll revealing 51 percent of Wisconsinites disapproved of Walker’s performance in office, and 58 percent opposed limiting collective bargaining rights.

Polling group We Ask America said 43 percent of residents surveyed favored the bill, while 57 percent were opposed. The poll also revealed younger age groups were more likely to be against the bill.

University of Wisconsin political science professor Charles Franklin, an expert on polling, said some skepticism still exists over the relevance of the public opinion polls. Sample size, where the sample was taken, how questions were asked, in what order those questions were asked and other factors can affect the quality and integrity of results. 

Questions and their specific order can be used to frame information in a certain way, ultimately affecting the results of the poll, Franklin said.

He added questions that raise certain considerations may produce different results depending on the order in which they are asked.

However, Franklin said when multiple polls have the same conclusion, that conclusion can be trusted.

“You can have greater confidence in the results when you see multiple polls by different organizations pointing to the same conclusion,” Franklin. “These are relatively consistent results in the Wisconsin issue that shows high levels of public support for state workers contributing to pensions and health care, but also support the unions’ rights to continue to exist and bargain collectively.”