Strike would mean ‘pox on both your houses’

Poll suggests parents and students losing patience with both sides

Nearly half of all Ontarians think the teachers’ protests against legislation freezing their wages, curbing their right to strike, and scaling back perks are ineffective, a new poll has found.

While 44 per cent support the teachers — compared with 39 per cent who back the government, 13 per cent who said neither and four per cent who were unsure — the unions’ tactics are not popular, accord to the Forum Research survey.

Almost two-thirds — 62 per cent — disapproved of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation’s withdrawal of extracurricular activities, with 31 per cent approving and seven per cent having no opinion.

An even greater number — 71 per cent — disapproved of the union’s instructions to teachers not to write comments on report cards, while 23 per cent approved and seven per cent weren’t sure.

Overall, 47 per cent of respondants believe the teachers’ actions are ineffective, with 39 per cent believing they are effective and 14 per cent unsure. Forum president Lorne Bozinoff said the results suggest parents’ and students’ patience with the province and unions is wearing thin. “The second there’s any kind of a strike, there will be a pox on both your houses,” said Bozinoff. “This creates maximum inconvenience for people and I don’t think either one of them is winning at the end of the day,” he said. Forum polled 1,127 people on Tuesday and Wednesday, using interactive voice-response telephone technology.