Police Escorts at Picket Lines

POLICE ESCORTS AT PICKET LINES

A majority of GTA residents feel that police should be required to escort workers across picket lines during the "Metro Days of Action" according to a recent CFRB/The Toronto Sun/Angus Reid Group Poll conducted among 400 randomly-selected adult residents of the Greater Toronto Area. The survey was conducted between October 18th and 20th, 1996. The key findings of the poll were:

Over seven-in-ten (72%) GTA residents feel that police should be required to escort workers across picket lines, if necessary. Two in ten (20%) feel that police escorts are not required to lead workers across picket lines and eight percent are undecided.

Younger respondents aged 18 to 34 (77%), those with household incomes of $60,000 or more (77%) and provincial Tory supporters (82%) are most likely to indicate that they feel police should be required to escort workers across picket lines, if necessary.

Provincial NDP supporters (37%) are most likely to feel that police should not be required to escort workers across picket lines.

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THE RIGHT TO PROTEST

Respondents were asked to indicate which viewpoint was closer to their own with regard to the following two statements: Some people say that the right to protest is a fundamental right in our society, and that what these groups are planning is a perfectly legitimate expression of their opinions; and, Other people say that, while they support the right to protest, people should not have the right to close down public services including the TTC and inconvenience the public in order to express their opinions (Read on a rotated basis).

Over seven-in-ten (72%) GTA residents feel that, while they support the right to protest, people should not have the right to close down public services in order to express their opinions. GTA residents aged 55 and older (79%) and provincial Tory supporters (91%) are most likely to feel that these groups should not have the right to inconvenience the public in order to express their opinions.

One-quarter (25%) of those surveyed feel that the right to protest is a fundamental right in our society and that what these groups are planning is a perfectly legitimate expression of their opinions, especially amongst those aged 18 to 34 (31%) and provincial NDP supporters (50%).

Three percent of GTA residents were undecided.

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IMPACT OF PROTEST ACTIONS ON GOVERNMENT POLICIES

Three-quarters of GTA (76%) residents do not feel that the "Metro Days of Action" will have any impact on the changing of the Ontario Government's policies.

Less than one-in-six (17%) feel that the protests will impact upon the provincial government's policies and seven percent are undecided.

Older GTA residents aged 55 and older (85%), those with annual household incomes of $30,000 or more and provincial Tory supporters are most likely to feel that the protests will not have any impact on changing provincial policy.

Younger Torontonians aged 18 to 34 (24%), those with annual household incomes of less than $30,000 (23%) and provincial NDP supporters (32%) are most likely to feel that the "Metro Days of Action" will have an impact of the changing of the Ontario Government's policies.

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PARTICIPATION IN THE "METRO DAYS OF ACTION"

The large majority (85%) of GTA residents indicate that they will not be participating in the "Metro Days of Action" protest or activities.

Under one-in-eight (13%) respondents report that they will participate in the "Metro Days of Action" protests and two percent are undecided.

Almost all (99%) residents aged 55 and older report that they will not participate in the protests or activities. In addition, 96 percent of provincial Tory supporters indicate that they will not participate in the "Metro Days of Action".

Just over one-third (36%) of provincial NDP supporters indicate that they will participate in the "Metro Days of Action". Reported participation is also higher amongst those aged 18 to 34 (18%).

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"METRO DAYS OF ACTION" MOTIVATION

Public opinion is split regarding the true motivation fo r the "Metro Days of Action" protest. Survey respondents were asked to indicate which viewpoint was closer to their own personal point of view with regard to the true motivation of the unions and activist groups for the "Metro Days of Action" protest: Some people say that the unions and activist groups are doing this because they disagree politically with the government and this is just one more rally which is being held because the parties they felt should have won in the last election didn't win; and, Other people say that the reason the unions and the activist groups are protesting is because they have a legitimate concern for people's welfare and that this really has nothing to do with politics (Read on a rotated basis).

A total of 46 percent of GTA residents feel that the motivation lies in the political disagreement that labour unions and social justice groups hold with the provincial government, and 43 percent feel that these groups have a legitimate concern for people's welfare.

Respondents aged 35 to 54 (53%), those who are most affluent (53% amongst those with annual household incomes of $60,000 or more), and provincial Tory supporters (63%) are most likely to feel that the protest motivations are due to political disagreement between the union groups and the provincial government.

Females (49% versus 37% of males), those aged 18 to 34 (51%), those with annual household incomes of less than $30,000 (53%) and provincial NDP supporters (76%) are most likely to feel that protest motivation stems from a legitimate concern for people's welfare.

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QUESTIONS ASKED

Do you think that police should be required to escort workers across picket lines, if necessary?

• Yes
• No

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Some people say that the right to protest is a fundamental right in our society, and that what these groups are planning is a perfectly legitimate expression of their opinions.

Other people say that, while they support the right to protest, people should not have the right to close down public services including the TTC and inconvenience the public in order to express their opinions.

Which of these two statements is closest to your personal point of view?

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Do you think that these "Metro Days of Action" will have any impact on changing the Ontario Government's policies?

• Yes
• No

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Do you plan to participate in the "Metro Days of Action" protest or activities?

• Yes
• No

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Now I'd like you to tell me what you believe is the true motivation of the unions and activist groups is for this "Metro Days of Action" protest. Some people say that the unions and activist groups are doing this because they disagree politically with the government and this is just one more rally which is being held because the parties they felt should have won in the last election didn't win.

Other people say that the reason the unions and the activist groups are protesting is because they have a legitimate concern for people's welfare and that this really has nothing to do with politics.

Which one of those two statements is closer to your own personal point of view?

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This poll is one of two conducted on this topic. Please link to our first press release which examines protest support and opposition, affected public opinion of labour unions and provincial government, public support, and provincial voting intentions.

This poll was conducted by telephone between October 18th and 20th 1996, among a representative cross-section of 400 randomly selected adults residing in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's age/sex composition reflects that of the actual GTA population according to the 1991 Census data. With the GTA-wide sample of 400, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results are within 1775.0 percentage points of what they would have been had the entire GTA adult population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within the various sub-groupings of the survey population.

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For further information, contact:

John Wright
Senior Vice-President
Angus Reid Group
(416) 324-2900