FDU Poll: Voters Split on Teachers Union

Voters throughout the state are nearly split in their opinions of the New Jersey Education Association, Fairleigh Dickinson University's latest PublicMind poll finds.

Of those surveyed by FDU, 39 percent have a favorable opinion of the public teachers union, while 38 percent have an unfavorable opinion. But the poll also finds that a majority of voters in public-employee households (60 percent) have a favorable view of the NJEA and just a quarter have an unfavorable view (26 percent). Among all other voters, the NJEA runs behind, 32 percent favorable and 43 percent unfavorable.

As a complement to the FDU poll, Patch asked voters throughout the state what they think of the teachers union. See the video attached to this article for their responses.

In the FDU poll, about nine out of 10 voters said they have not heard of (88 percent) the NJEA leader, Barbara Keshishian. Another 5 percent said they had no opinion of her. Keshishian and Gov. Chris Christie have often been at odds, as Christie has targeted the teachers union, saying it hurts students and taxpayers by taking a hard line on salary and benefit concessions. 

"The governor has a megaphone. The NJEA has money," said Peter Woolley, a political scientist and director of the poll. "The fight is far from over."

Christie continues to garner the approval of New Jersey voters, according to the poll. It found 49 percent approve of the job Christie is doing, while 39 percent disapprove. Just back from the Republican Governors Conference, his margin of 10 percentage points is a 4-point decline from a month ago, though within the poll's margin of error.

"To the extent that Christie's national reputation is tied up with national Republican politics, it can hurt him with voters back home," Woolley said. "He has thus far made his reputation on honest and decisive management, not solid partisanship."

His 10-point advantage in his approval rating is better than his 4-point advantage in favorable-over-unfavorable opinion: 45 percent say they have a favorable view of the governor, and 41 percent have an unfavorable view. Moreover, three of four of those who say their opinion of him is unfavorable say their opinion is "very" unfavorable.  Similarly, among those who disapprove of his job performance, two of three "strongly" disapprove.

The governor's approval in public employee households lags with 40 percent approving and 47 percent disapproving. Among all other voters, the governor runs ahead with 53 percent approving and 36 percent disapproving.

The poll also asked voters how to best balance the state's budget.

Three of five voters (60 percent) continue to say the state should hold the line on spending even if many programs are reduced, while 22 percent say the state should raise taxes if necessary to support state programs, a nearly 3-to-1 advantage. 

The Fairleigh Dickinson University poll of 804 registered voters statewide was conducted by telephone from Nov. 15, 2010, through Nov. 21, 2010, and has a margin of error of +/-3.5 percentage points.