Canadians divided over how government should end labour strikes

Most Canadians believe the federal government should be able to end a labour strike but are divided over how it should be done, as Prime Minister Mark Carney seeks to entrench a controversial power used by the labour minister to intervene in some disputes.

A poll conducted by Nanos Research Group on behalf of Bloomberg News found 32 per cent of Canadians support giving the federal labour minister the power to end strikes that are believed to be against the national interest, while 36 per cent said the government should have to pass back-to-work legislation to do so. Meanwhile, 25 per cent of respondents said the government should not be allowed to end strikes at all.

Labour groups have pushed back against proposed Carney government legislation that puts conditions on the use Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to end strikes. In recent years, labour ministers have invoked the provision to direct a quasi-judicial body to resolve disputes involving flight attendants, postal workers and rail and port employees — without having to go through the politically fraught process of passing back-to-work legislation.

The government has said that the proposed changes will raise the bar for ending strikes using Section 107, while several unions have argued that the government is doubling down on a power it should not have by enshrining it in law.

Business groups have long called on the government to play a more active role in ending labour disputes, arguing that strikes carry significant economic costs and cause uncertainty, both of which could discourage investment.

Nik Nanos, the founder of Nanos Research, said the poll results suggest the government’s solution is not a “slam dunk” politically. That means it will have to put in work to win over Canadians on the issue, he said.

Young people between the ages of 18 and 24 were the least likely to support giving the labour minister the power to end a strike and the most likely to say that the government should not be allowed to play a role.

The poll was conducted between Sept. 27 and 29 with 1,057 respondents, as is considered accurate within three percentage points, 19 times out of 20.