CUPE Survey

Vancouver, BC - According to a recent Canadian Union of Public Employees survey conducted by Ipsos Reid, 87% of British Columbians support the provincial government increasing funding for public education in BC. This comprises 68% who strongly support increased funding and 19% who somewhat support it. Just 9% oppose increased funding - 3% who oppose strongly and 6% who oppose somewhat.

Seventy-five percent of British Columbians are concerned about school closures and the loss of public infrastructure when schools are sold or leased out to private groups. Forty-three percent are very concerned while another 32% are somewhat concerned. Twenty-four percent of British Columbians say they're not concerned.

When asked whether they would support or oppose a special government funding initiative to help keep schools open, 79% of British Columbians say they would support the initiative, with 47% saying that they'd strongly support it. Just 19% say they would oppose the special funding initiative, with 8% strongly opposing it.

British Columbians were asked how much of a priority the federal and provincial governments should place on providing funds to ensure that public assets such as university and college buildings, grounds and recreational facilities are adequately maintained. Forty-seven percent say this should be a high priority, 43% say it should be a medium priority and 6% say it should be a low priority while 3% say this should not be a priority at all.

British Columbians were asked whether public universities should or should not expand into more private, for-profit operations. Sixty percent feel that public universities should not expand into more private, for-profit operations while 34% feel that they should do so.

Residents of BC were asked whether, as major public employers, universities and colleges in the province have a special responsibility to offer stable and secure employment opportunities in their communities. Eighty-seven percent agree that they do have a special responsibility, with 55% agreeing strongly and 32% agreeing somewhat. Just 11 percent disagree that BC's colleges and universities have this special responsibility.

The survey was conducted by Ipsos Reid on behalf of the Canadian Union of Public Employees. These results are based on 800 telephone interviews with British Columbians, 18 years of age and older from the BC Reid Express omnibus survey. Interviews were conducted between September 4th and September 10, 2007 with residents from throughout the province.

With a provincial sample of 800, one can say with 95% certainty that the overall results are within 177 3.5 percentage points of what they would have been had the entire BC population been surveyed. The margin of error will be larger for sub-groupings of the survey population.

These data were weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual BC population according to the 2001 Census data. Please visit www.ipsos.ca for full tabular results.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
Rhys Gibb
Director
Ipsos Reid
(778) 373-5112
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid
Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca.

Ipsos
Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals. Ipsos helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and responses of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world.

Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media. They measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, modeling, and consulting. Ipsos has a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies. The company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded since 1999. In 2006, Ipsos generated global revenues of 857.1 million euros ($1.1 billion USD).

Visit www.ipsos.com to learn more about Ipsos offerings and capabilities.

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