Torontonians see municipal services as critical to life in the city, according to a union poll released Tuesday.
The survey, commissioned by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), found that 84 per cent of residents surveyed want to maintain or increase funding to public services.
The poll said three-quarters of Toronto residents are satisfied with city services. Transit, employment and the city's budget are the priorities of most Torontonians, the poll said.
Given the choice to rank workers based on how important they are to the quality city services, over half of the respondents polled said they thought city workers were "critically important."
However, in the case of a hypothetical labour dispute, five per cent of survey participants were likely to side with the city rather than with the workers. Thirty-one per cent of those polled had a somewhat to very negative impression of CUPE.
The city can legally lock out unionized workers, and the union can legally strike, beginning March 24. Scheduling, pay and part-time worker rights have been major issues in negotiations. CUPE employees have been working without a contract since Dec. 31.
The poll was released as labour negotiations continue between CUPE Local 79 and the City of Toronto. The union represents 23,000 inside workers, including nurses, janitors, child care workers and ambulance dispatchers.
The Environics Research Group survey used 600 randomly-selected adults living across Toronto and was conducted from January to March. The margin of error was plus or minus four per cent.
The survey also suggests residents are less confident in Mayor Rob Ford than they were a year ago. In May 2011, 50 per cent of people polled said they thought Ford's priorities were "on the right track." This year, an average of 39 per cent said they supported the mayor.
