America's middle class wants to grow.  That's the message from a new nationwide poll that shows a clear majority of the middle class supports the Employee Free Choice Act.

Overall, 68% of middle-class adults would have liked their representative in the U.S. House to vote for the bill.  Specifically, 80% of Democrats, 60% of Republicans, and 59% of Independents polled were in favor of their representatives voting for the bill.

American Rights at Work Executive Director Mary Beth Maxwell put the poll in perspective:

"This new poll reinforces that a clear majority of Americans - be they Democrats, Independents, or Republicans - want policies like the Employee Free Choice Act that will help working families struggling in this economy. [...] Momentum for the Employee Free Choice Act is real and while anti-union corporations and their front groups are spending millions to mislead the public, Americans aren't buying it."

It shouldn't be any mystery why the middle class supports the Employee Free Choice Act.  The bill would help level the playing field to give workers the freedom to choose to join a union, so they can earn better wages and benefits and have greater opportunity towards achieving the American Dream.

In its description of the poll results, the Drum Major Institute (DMI) includes this interesting tidbit:

60% of those who say they are likely to vote for John McCain for president favor legislation making it easier for employees to join unions even though Senator McCain voted for the filibuster that killed this bill.  60% of middle-class Republicans, and an even higher proportion of Democrats and independents, support the legislation. 

The middle class is ahead of even its own representatives in realizing how we can jump-start our economy.  Let's make sure Congress gets the message in 2009.

For more information on DMI's first annual survey on the Middle Class and Public Policy, visit http:// www.drummajorinstitute.org/2008middleclasspoll.