Labour Negotiations and Job Action Tracker: Wave 3 OSSTF/FEESO KEY METRICS– JANUARY 2020 OSSTF/FEESO – ONTARIO OPINIONS OF EDUCATION ISSUES – WAVE 2 KEY TAKEAWAYS • Ontarians demonstrate sustained philosophical alignment with teachers and education workers when it comes to current labour negotiations. These sentiments have remained relatively consistent in recent tracking surveys: • Almost two-thirds believe the government is on the wrong track when it comes to public education, while a similar proportion report they are most sympathetic to teachers and education workers when it comes to the negotiations. • Approximately three-in-five Ontarians prioritize investing in education over fighting the deficit and support continued efforts by teachers to negotiate for those items which are important to them. • A significant proportion of the population report that they are following the negotiations between teachers and education workers and the provincial government closely, and most characterize the teachers and education workers as the most reasonable parties in negotiation activities. • Two thirds of Ontarians consistently believe that cuts to education are more harmful to students than job action like work-to-rule and one-day strikes. OSSTF/FEESO – – ONTARIO ONTARIO OPINIONS OPINIONSOF OFEDUCATION EDUCATIONISSUES ISSUES WAVE –– WAVE 3 2 2 2 METHODOLOGY – WAVE 3 Environics conducted an online survey with a representative sample of 500 adult residents of Ontario. The survey was conducted between December 20-23, 2019. • Where appropriate, questions in this document have been tracked since first asked in August/September, 2019. • In this report, the term “parents” refers to parents of school-aged children. This includes (but is not exclusive to) parents of secondary school aged children. % of Ontarians (2016 Census) Unweighted (actual) sample (n) Weighted sample size (n) 12% 61 60 8% 40 40 City of Toronto 21% 105 105 905 suburbs 24% 119 120 Southwest 20% 100 100 Hamilton/Niagara 9% 45 45 Northern 6% 30 30 Male 48% 240 241 Female 52% 260 259 100% 500 500 REGION East Central GENDER TOTAL OSSTF/FEESO – – ONTARIO ONTARIO OPINIONS OPINIONSOF OFEDUCATION EDUCATIONISSUES ISSUES WAVE –– WAVE 3 2 3 3 DIRECTION OF PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT Six-in-ten continue to say the government is on the wrong track when it comes to public education. Sept. Don’t Know (17%) Oct. Don’t Know (23%) 65% Dec. W1 Don’t Know (16%) Dec. W2 Don’t Know (18%) 62% Dec. W3. Don’t Know (19%) 60% 58% 55% General Population 22% 22% 23% 22% 18% Right track Wrong track When it comes to public education in Ontario, do you believe that the Ontario provincial government is currently on the right track or the wrong track? (Base: Oct 2019: N= 1200; Dec W2 2019: N=505; Dec W3 2019: N=500) OSSTF/FEESO – – ONTARIO ONTARIO OPINIONS OPINIONSOF OFEDUCATION EDUCATIONISSUES ISSUES WAVE –– WAVE 3 2 4 4 FOLLOWING CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS Despite a fielding period spanning the holiday break, more than half of Ontarians continue to report they are following the labour negotiations closely. Oct. Very closely (15%) Dec. W1 Very closely (16%) Dec. W2 Dec. W3. Very closely (13%) Very closely (14%) 59% 58% 64% General Population 52% 34% 37% 39% 31% Following very/somewhat closely Not very closely/not at all As you may know, contracts between various groups of teachers and education workers across the province have expired and these groups are currently in negotiations with the government for new collective agreements. How closely would you say you have been following the news about Ontario teachers and education workers negotiating with the Ontario government regarding new contracts? (Base Oct 2019 N=1200; Dec W2 2019: N=505; Dec W3 2019: N=500) OSSTF/FEESO – – ONTARIO ONTARIO OPINIONS OPINIONSOF OFEDUCATION EDUCATIONISSUES ISSUES WAVE –– WAVE 3 2 5 5 SYMPATHETIC ALIGNMENT Consistent with opinions in early December, just under six-in-ten Ontarians sympathize with teachers and education workers, compared to one-in-five who sympathize with the provincial government. W3 W2 W1 57% 18% 22% 53% 58% Teachers and education workers 19% Ontario PC government Neither 18% 7% 17% 8% 18% 5% Don't know From what you have heard, read or seen, which side of the negotiations are you more sympathetic to? Teachers and education workers; Ontario PC government; Neither; Don’t know. (Base Dec W2 2019: N=505; Dec W3 2019: N=500) OSSTF/FEESO – – ONTARIO ONTARIO OPINIONS OPINIONSOF OFEDUCATION EDUCATIONISSUES ISSUES WAVE –– WAVE 3 2 6 6 WHICH SIDE IS BEING MORE REASONABLE More Ontarians continue to believe that Secondary teachers and education workers are being reasonable in negotiations than believe government is being reasonable. % Change Reasonable (W2 to W3) Teachers and Edu. workers 56% W3 W2 49% 38% 58% W1 ON PC government 33% 33% W3 32% 55% W2 30% 58% W1 34% Reasonable +7% +2% 55% Unreasonable When you think about Ontario’s secondary school teachers and education workers sitting down at the negotiation table with representatives from the Ontario PC government, how reasonable do you believe each group is being in the process? (Base Dec W2 2019: N=505; Dec W3 2019: N=500) OSSTF/FEESO – – ONTARIO ONTARIO OPINIONS OPINIONSOF OFEDUCATION EDUCATIONISSUES ISSUES WAVE –– WAVE 3 2 7 7 DEFICIT FIGHTING VS. EDUCATION INVESTMENT W3 sees no change in the number of Ontarians who believe that investing in education should be prioritized over deficit cutting and tax breaks. View Closest to Your Own Dec. W1 Don’t know (7%) Dec. W2 Dec. W3 Don’t know (8%) Don’t know (8%) 64% 64% 28% 28% 66% 27% Ontario can’t afford to give into teacher demands and needs Education is an investment in the long term and needs to be prioritized over deficit cutting and tax breaks Which of the following views is closest to your own? Ontario can’t afford to give into teacher demands and needs to focus on cutting the deficit; Education is an investment in the long term and needs to be prioritized over deficit cutting and tax breaks; don’t know/no opinion. (Base Dec W2 2019: N=505; Dec W3 2019: N=500) OSSTF/FEESO – – ONTARIO ONTARIO OPINIONS OPINIONSOF OFEDUCATION EDUCATIONISSUES ISSUES WAVE –– WAVE 3 2 8 8 ACCEPT OFFER VS. FIGHT FOR ISSUES Opinions of whether teachers should accept the offer or continue to negotiate remained static throughout December 2019. Almost six-in-ten Ontarians continue to believe that teachers and education workers should continue to negotiate. Which of the following points of view is closest to you own? Dec. W1 Don’t know (14%) Dec. W2 Dec. W3 Don’t know (16%) Don’t know (15%) 59% 59% 26% 26% 61% 25% Ontario Secondary school teachers and education workers should accept the offer the Ontario government currently has on the table Ontario's secondary school teachers and education workers should continue to negotiate for the contract issues that are important to them Which of the following views is closest to your own? Ontario’s secondary school teachers and education workers should accept the offer the Ontario government currently has on the table; Ontario’s secondary school teachers and educations workers should continue to negotiate for the contract issues that are important to them; don’t know/no opinion. (Base - Dec W2 2019: N=505; Dec W3 2019: N=500) OSSTF/FEESO – – ONTARIO ONTARIO OPINIONS OPINIONSOF OFEDUCATION EDUCATIONISSUES ISSUES WAVE –– WAVE 3 2 9 9 MOST HARMFUL TO ONTARIO STUDENTS In wave 3, there is a slight increase in Ontarians believing cuts to education are more harmful to students than job action, with just under two-thirds saying this. Which is most harmful to students Dec. W1 Don’t know (7%) Dec. W2 Don’t know (8%) Dec. W3 Don’t know (8%) 65% 64% 61% 32% 29% 27% Job action by teachers and education workers like work to rule and one day strikes Cuts to education that reduce teaching positions and course options Which of the following is most harmful to Ontario’s students? Job action by teachers and education workers like work to rule and one day strikes; cuts to education that reduce teaching positions and course options; don’t know/no opinion. (Base - Dec W2 2019: N=505; Dec W3 2019: N=500) OSSTF/FEESO – – ONTARIO ONTARIO OPINIONS OPINIONSOF OFEDUCATION EDUCATIONISSUES ISSUES WAVE –– WAVE 3 2 10 10