Here are the results from the recently completed national UTU survey, where members were asked their views on national issues, voting, the UTU PAC and the Rail Safety Improvement Act (RSIA).
In total, 2,016 members participated in the online survey, a substantial sampling by survey standards.
UTU members are much in line with the rest of America in their view of President Obama, recently passed health care legislation, and the economy in general, with older UTU members being more optimistic than younger ones.
One substantial difference is that far more UTU members identify themselves with the Democratic Party than the national average -- 53 percent consider themselves Democrats, 16 percent Republicans, and 11 percent associate themselves with the Tea Party movement. The remainder of members say they are independent. However, 33 percent of UTU members identify themselves as "conservative," while 66 percent consider themselves to be "liberal" or "moderate."
The online survey was conducted at the request of the UTU by the St. Paul, Minn., polling firm DFM Research. DFM Research is also assisting the UTU in a get-out-the-vote drive prior to November elections.
The survey was conducted electronically through random e-mail addresses of UTU members using standard, academically approved statistical techniques. Since respondents were geographically spread out and represented a wide range of ages, the results can be considered equally valid for those members without e-mail access.
"Surveys are an important way to determine what issues are important to our members, National Legislative Director James Stem said. "I've often heard someone say, 'My members want this or that' and wondered how members in another part of the country or on another property feel about those issues.
"Rather than relying on perceptions of what people think, this scientific survey provides us with a true snapshot of the opinions of our membership," Stem said. "The UTUs mission is to work on issues important to its membership."
Among the major results of the survey:
* UTU members are generally split on their approval of President Obama, with 45 percent having a "favorable" or "somewhat favorable" opinion of President Obama, and 43 percent a "very unfavorable" or "somewhat unfavorable" opinion.
* Among UTU members 50 years or older, 54 percent give President Obama a positive rating; but fewer than 35 percent of members between the ages of 18 and 49 hold a favorable opinion of President Obama. When the question is asked of only UTU PAC members, 55 percent give President Obama a favorable rating.
* As for President Obamas health care insurance legislation, 46 percent of UTU members aged 50 or older are favorable to his handling of the legislation; while fewer than 30 percent in the 18 to 49 year-old range have a favorable opinion. Among UTU PAC members, 45 percent give President Obama a favorable rating on his handling of health care legislation.
* When asked what are the most important issues that affects your vote, 42 percent said "economic issues." "Taxation issues" came in second with 18 percent, and "gun rights" came in third at 10 percent. Only five percent of UTU members consider "health care" a high priority issue.
* Some 60 percent of UTU members who voted in the 2008 general election said that the UTU endorsements had a "great" or "some" impact on their voting decisions. Only five percent of UTU members said that the UTU endorsement had no effect and that they did not vote for "most" or "all" of UTU-endorsed candidates.
* When it comes to a members vote, party affiliation and UTU endorsements are the two top sources of information for UTU members to determine their candidate choice(s).
* As for the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008, 41 percent of UTU members think the law is having a favorable impact on their jobs; 46 percent think otherwise.
Stem said more surveys "are in the works, with questions on how to improve the Rail Safety Improvement Act and workplace training. I encourage members to participate in future surveys. We want and need to know what our members' concerns are."
