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Nine out of 10 CUPE members say
they are satisfied with their job, and most
believe their work is valued by their communities,
their employer and their coworkers.
These were among the key findings of
a recent CUPE survey of its membership,
the first poll of its kind in several years.
Keeping a promise made at the 2003
national convention, CUPE commissioned
a telephone survey of a random
sample of 2,425 members from all 10
provinces. This survey followed a series of
10 face-to-face discussion groups held in
six major cities earlier this year.
National President Paul Moist presented
the survey to delegates at the Winnipeg
national convention in October.
“The results will help us better understand
members’ concerns and will allow us
to improve how we meet their needs and
choose our priorities,” said Moist.
Here are a few of the more interesting
facts and figures:
Job satisfaction
An overwhelming majority of CUPE
members (90 per cent) are satisfied with
their job, including 47 per cent who say
they are very satisfied.
Likewise, most of you feel your work is
valued by the people you help, the public,
your employer and, most of all, your coworkers.
CUPE services and campaigns
The services that matter most to members
are protecting job security, negotiating
good wages, benefits and pension and
protecting health and safety at work.
Promoting quality public services,
opposing contracting out and dealing with
grievances were also rated as important.
More than two out of three of you feel
it is extremely important for CUPE to
promote equality, human rights and fair
treatment for everyone.
CUPE’s performance
Encouragingly, almost seven out of 10
of you feel you are better off in CUPE. You
said we do a good job protecting job security,
promoting public services and fighting
contracting out, delivering union education
and negotiating good wages, benefits
and pensions. Services that received the
lowest marks include taking a strong stand
on national issues, negotiating paid family
leave, dealing with grievances and lobbying
the government.
Privatization and
contracting out
Almost 80 per cent of members are
worried their job will be contracted out or
privatized. The biggest concerns are pay
cuts and that the quality of the services
they provide will be compromised. A large
majority is also concerned about fewer
hours and increased workload.
Communications
When it comes to receiving information
from CUPE, almost half of you said
you prefer to receive your local’s newsletter
at work. Forty per cent prefer the newsletter
be sent to your home. Almost as many
members say they want to receive e-mail,
while others would prefer personal contact
either with their shop steward or at a
union meeting.
Almost everyone surveyed has access to
the Internet, either at work, at home or both.
Almost half of the members who
receive written information say they have
seen or read Organize.
Workplace education
Almost 80 per cent of you believe it’s
important for CUPE to negotiate workplace
training to help you do your job
more effectively or to get promoted.
Almost two out of three members say their
employer currently provides workplace training.
Who did the math?
CUPE commissioned Winnipeg-based
pollsters Viewpoints Research. The margin
of error for the total sample is more or less
2 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
Natasha Gauthier