Poll: Should It Be Legal for Teachers to Strike?

The Chicago Teachers Union strike has become a national story that is playing out across cable news and national newspapers. 

A new poll from Rasmussen says that 42 percent of Americans believe teachers should not have a legal right to go on strike. Another 46 percent do believe that they should be able to walk the picket lines. Rasmussen has the exact wording of the question. 

Read all of Patch's strike coverage.  

As I have been out covering the strike these past three days I have talked to dozens of teachers and parents about the issues that are serving as their rallying cry. Local and national figures have also weighed in on the issue affecting families across Chicago.

Mitt Romney even jumped into the debate issuing his own statement:

“I am disappointed by the decision of the Chicago Teachers Union to turn its back on not only a city negotiating in good faith but also the hundreds of thousands of children relying on the city’s public schools to provide them a safe place to receive a strong education. Teachers unions have too often made plain that their interests conflict with those of our children, and today we are seeing one of the clearest examples yet.” 

A bit closer to home, a Sun-Times poll released Tuesday found that 47 percent of Chicago voters support the striking teachers, while 39 percent are opposed. 

Here at Patch we care about what our local readers think. So vote in our poll and leave comments about your position on the strike.

Do you support the union, or is what they are asking for unrealistic?