Nova Scotia Nurses Dispute - Part 2

Toronto, ON - In the second of two releases regarding the latest poll conducted by Ipsos-Reid for the Nova Scotia Nurses' Union, almost two-thirds (62%) of Nova Scotians say that they would be less likely to vote for their Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in the next election if they support imposing a settlement on nurses. And, more than eight in ten (85%) say it's time for the government to make a better offer in terms of wages and benefits as the government prepares to assume the power to force a settlement.

This is the second and final release of findings of an Ipsos-Reid poll conducted on behalf of the Nova Scotia Nurses' Union between June 22nd and June 24th, 2001. The poll is based on a randomly selected sample of 500 adult Nova Scotians. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 177 4.4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult Nova Scotia population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual adult Nova Scotia population according to the 1996 Census data.

Almost Two-Thirds (62%) Say If Their MLA Supports Imposing A Settlement on Nurses, They Would Be Less Likely to Vote For Them In The Next Provincial Election

Almost two-thirds (62%) of Nova Scotians say that they would be less likely to vote for their local Member of Legislative Assembly in the next provincial election if that MLA supports imposing a settlement on nurses. The intensity of public opinion on the political affect of an imposed settlement is notable. A plurality (36%) of Nova Scotians say that they would be "much less likely" to vote for their MLA in the next election if their MLA supports an imposed settlement.

More Than Eight In Ten (85%) Say Now Is The Time For The Government To Make A Better Offer

In response to the possibility of a nurses' strike, the government will pass legislation outlawing a nurses' strike and giving the government the power to force a settlement. In this context, more than eight in ten (85%) Nova Scotians say that the government should now make a significantly better offer to nurses in terms of wages and benefits. One in seven (13%) say that the government should not now make a significantly better offer to nurses.

Overwhelming Awareness of Nurses Dispute

Respondents were asked "as you may know, there is currently a labour dispute between nurses and the provincial government in Nova Scotia, how familiar are you with the issues at stake with the government and the province's nurses?" Eight in ten (80%) say that they are "very familiar" (17%) or "somewhat familiar" (63%). Two in ten (20%) say that they are "not very familiar" (16%) or "not at all familiar" (4%).

Seven In Ten (68%) Choose Compensation and Benefits For Nurses Over Tax Cuts (28%)

When Nova Scotians were asked to make a tradeoff between tax cuts promised in the last provincial election and better compensation and benefits for nurses, a full 68 percent say that better compensation and benefits for nurses should be the highest priority for the provincial government. Three in ten (28%) say that implementing tax cuts promised in the last election should be the highest priority for the Nova Scotia government.

Public Supports Numerous Options To Attract and Retain Nurses

Respondents were also asked whether they support or oppose a number of possible options to attract and retain nurses to Nova Scotia, thereby reducing the shortage. Almost all (97%) Nova Scotians say that they would support an option in which "the federal government increases the amount of money it transfers to the provinces for health care" and "governments increase hospitals' hiring budgets for nurses" (94%). Seven in ten (72%) say that they would support an option in which "the federal government uses a portion of Employment Insurance monies for nursing education and training", while six in ten (60%) say that they would support an option in which "governments mandate the maximum number of patients per nurse".

For more information on this news release, please contact:

John Wright
Senior Vice President
Public Affairs
Ipsos-Reid
(416) 324-2900