A new BC poll conducted by opinion research and communications firm Stratcom for the BCFED shows an overwhelming majority of respondents support single-step union certification.
Seven in ten respondents (70%) agreed with the statement âIf 55% or more employees in a workplace sign cards saying they want to join a union, they should be able to do so without facing further barriers.â
Those agreeing divided roughly evenly between âstrongly agreeâ and âsomewhat agree.â Support spans partisan lines, with 80% of NDP supporters, 65% of Liberal supporters and 79% of Green supporters agreeing.
One of the chief problems with multi-step certification is that it gives employers an opportunity to interfere â an issue that respondents confirmed is widespread. Over half of the respondents (53%) who had experienced a union drive specifically remembered their employer interfering in one or more ways, such as threatening to withhold wage increases, calling workers at home to ask if they support the union or retaliating against union organizers. Only 29% said none of these things happened.
There has been a recent surge in worker interest in unionizing, and the poll may offer a clue as to one reason why: a lack of faith in employersâ fairness. Only one in four respondents (23%) was confident problems they raise with their employer will be dealt with fairly.
âThe right to form a union and bargain collectively is fundamental,â BCFED President Laird Cronk said. âItâs gratifying to see such strong public support for exercising that right free of interference and unnecessary barriers.â
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These survey questions were part of Stratcomâs omnibus âSyndicated Pollingâ on a range of topics conducted for a variety of clients and fielded online through river sampling and proprietary panels from April 25 to May 3, 2022. The poll has a balanced sample of 804 BC adults, statistically weighted to match the gender, age, region and proportion of Chinese mother tongue in BC as per the 2016 Census. The data has also been weighted to match the 2020 BC provincial election results. While online polls donât report margin of error, a similar sized probability sample would have a margin of error of +/- 3.5%, 19 times out of 20.
Backgrounder: Stratcom opinion survey for BCFED
The following questions were fielded from April 25 to May 3, 2022.
Q1. Do you feel that you could raise a problem with your employer, for example an issue about improper pay, lack of health and safety protections or unfair treatment, and it will be addressed fairly? If you are not currently employed, think back to your most recent place of employment.
Yes, problems I raise will be dealt with fairly: 23%
Maybe, problems I raise might be dealt with fairly: 31%
No, problems I raise will not be dealt with fairly: 19%
Not applicable: 19%Â
Donât know: 8%
Q2. Below are reasons why some workers might want to join a union based on their experiences over the course of the pandemic. Please rank all in order of importance.
 | Rank 1 | Rank 2 | Rank 3 | Rank 4 | Rank 5 | Rank 6 |
To increase their wages | 41% | 21% | 13% | 11% | 8% | 6% |
To improve their job security | 18% | 22% | 19% | 18% | 16% | 8% |
To improve health and safety measures in their workplace | 17% | 15% | 15% | 16% | 21% | 16% |
To get access to benefits like extended health and dental plans | 16% | 28% | 24% | 19% | 9% | 5% |
To get access to better training and skill/professional development | 5% | 5% | 10% | 12% | 21% | 48% |
To get access to improved paid sick leave | 4% | 9% | 19% | 25% | 25% | 17% |
Donât know | 8% |
[Average rank using inverse weighting]
Rank #1: To increase their wages
Rank #2: To get access to benefits like extended health and dental plans
Rank #3: To improve their job security
Rank #4: To improve health and safety measures in their workplace
Rank #5: To get access to improved paid sick leave
Rank #6: To get access to better training and skill/professional development
Q3. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? If 55% or more employees in a workplace sign cards saying they want to join a union, they should be able to do so without facing further barriers.
Strongly agree: 33%
Somewhat agree: 37%
Somewhat disagree: 12%
Strongly disagree: 6%
Donât know: 11%
Q4. Have you ever experienced a union drive at a place where you have worked? A union drive is when workers try to become unionized.
Yes, and it was successful: 11%
Yes, but it was not successful: 10%
No, I have not experienced a union drive: 76%
Donât know: 4%
Q5a. Did you witness any of the following actions by the employer/ management during the union drive? [IF YES IN Q4]
Asking if employees have signed union cards or not: 22%
Telling employees they wonât get planned wage increases because of the union drive: 19%
Calling workers at home to ask if they support joining the union: 17%
Requiring workers to attend a meeting to tell them unions have had a negative impact at other businesses: 17%
Holding one-on-one meetings to tell workers to ignore the union and its organizers: 16%
Telling workers the business will be closed and moved to another country if a union is formed: 15%
Firing the lead union organizer(s) or cutting their hours because of their organizing activity: 15%
None of the above: 29%
Donât know/Donât remember: 18%
Q5b. How common do you think it is for employers to engage in the activities listed below when they know there is a union drive at their workplace? [IF NO IN Q4]
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 | Very common | Somewhat common | Not too common | Never | Donât know |
Firing the lead union organizer(s) or cutting their hours because of their organizing activity | 14% | 24% | 23% | 8% | 30% |
Telling workers the business will be closed and moved to another country if a union is formed | 14% | 27% | 23% | 10% | 26% |
Asking if employees have signed union cards or not | 13% | 25% | 23% | 9% | 30% |
Telling employees they wonât get planned wage increases because of the union drive | 13% | 28% | 20% | 8% | 32% |
Requiring workers to attend a meeting to tell them unions have had a negative impact at other businesses | 12% | 29% | 23% | 8% | 29% |
Holding one-on-one meetings to tell workers to ignore the union and its organizers | 10% | 27% | 26% | 8% | 29% |
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Q6. To what degree are you aware that the following actions by employers/ management are prohibited by BC Labour laws?
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 | Very aware | Somewhat aware | Not aware | Donât know |
Firing the lead union organizer(s) or cutting their hours because of their organizing activity | 23% | 25% | 35% | 18% |
Calling workers at home to ask if they support joining the union | 17% | 26% | 39% | 18% |
Telling workers the business will be closed and moved to another country if a union is formed | 15% | 26% | 40% | 18% |
Telling employees they wonât get planned wage increases because of the union drive | 15% | 27% | 39% | 19% |
Asking if employees have signed union cards or not | 14% | 27% | 40% | 19% |
Holding one-on-one meetings to tell workers to ignore the union and its organizers | 14% | 25% | 43% | 18% |
These survey questions were part of Stratcomâs omnibus âSyndicated Pollingâ on a range of topics conducted for a variety of clients and fielded online through river sampling and proprietary panels from April 25 to May 3, 2022. The poll has a balanced sample of 804 BC adults, statistically weighted to match the gender, age, region and proportion of Chinese mother tongue in BC as per the 2016 Census. The data has also been weighted to match the 2020 BC provincial election results. While online polls donât report margin of error, a similar sized probability sample would have a margin of error of +/- 3.5%, 19 times out of 20.
Strategic Communications Inc. (Stratcom) is an award-winning consulting firm that has been designing and implementing strategic research, communications and message development since 1991 for not-for-profit organizations, charities, unions, professional associations, regulatory agencies, governments and government agencies.