Bloomberg-Nanos Northern Gateway Pipeline Survey – Part 2

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June 4, 2014

Key Findings

To follow are the key highlights of a Bloomberg-Nanos random telephone survey conducted in British Columbia on the Northern Gateway Pipeline.

This is the second part of a two part survey release.

  • Approval of the pipeline by the Harper government is likely to have a collateral negative impact on support for the Conservatives in BC, especially among female voters.
  • Forty-seven percent of respondents said they would be less likely to support local Conservative candidates in BC if the Harper government approved the pipeline, while only 11 percent said they would be more likely to support the local Conservative candidate if the project was approved by the Harper government.
  • Among those respondents who refused to say who they voted for in the last federal election, there is a considerable negative impact on their likelihood to vote for their local Conservative candidate (40 percent less likely, 8 percent more likely to vote for the local Conservative voter).

Methodology

This random telephone survey of 500 British Columbians was conducted between May 27th and 31st, 2014 by Nanos Research. The dual frame sample included both land- and cell-lines across BC. The results were statistically checked and weighted by age and gender using the latest Census information and the sample was geographically stratified to be representative of BC. The margin of error for a random survey of 500 British Columbians is ±4.4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

The research was conducted by Nanos Research and commissioned by Bloomberg News.  The questions were cooperatively designed by Nanos Research and Bloomberg News together.

The study was a stand-alone study conducted for Bloomberg by Nanos with no other questions other than those listed in the tabulations with the question order as presented in the tabulations. This second part of a two part series has all the questions in the second section of the questions in the order they are presented. 

Part 2 included the last two content questions of the study.  Non-content demographic questions were included at the end of the questionnaire to profile respondents and to weigh the data.

Individuals called using random digit dialling and were called up to five times by Nanos and 10 percent of the fieldwork was monitored/validated in accordance with industry standards.

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Nik Nanos, FMRIA

Chairman

email: nnanos@nanosresearch.com

web: http://www.nanosresearch.com

Bloomberg-Nanos Northern Gateway Pipeline Survey

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June 3, 2014

Key Findings

A new Bloomberg Nanos survey in British Columbia suggests that 29 percent of British Columbians believe that the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline should be approved at this time.  Thirty four percent believe the proposed pipeline should not be approved, 33 percent believe it should be delayed for further review and the rest were unsure.  Men are more likely than women to believe the project should be approved.  However women are more likely than men to believe the project should be delayed for further review.

  • The two most prominent associations British Columbians have of the pipeline is the view that the pipeline might lead to an oil spill someday (36 percent) and that the project will create jobs in BC (25 percent).  Sixteen percent of BCers associated revenue for the provincial government and another 15 percent associated the pipeline with contributions to climate change.
  • Environmental groups in BC and Aboriginal leaders in BC are more likely to be considered credible or somewhat credible on the issue of the pipeline (75 percent and 71 percent respectively).  Almost one of two respondents (49 percent) thought that Enbridge, the company proposing the pipeline was credible or somewhat credible. One half of British Columbians (51 percent) thought the Clark provincial government was credible or somewhat credible on this issue while 46 percent of respondents believed the Harper federal government was credible or somewhat credible.
  • Just as many British Columbians thought that Aboriginal groups have the right amount of influence (36 percent) as thought that they should have more influence (35 percent).  Only 22 percent of respondents thought they should have less influence while eight percent were unsure.

Methodology

This random telephone survey of 500 British Columbians was conducted between May 27th and 31st, 2014 by Nanos Research. The dual frame sample included both land- and cell-lines across BC. The results were statistically checked and weighted by age and gender using the latest Census information and the sample was geographically stratified to be representative of BC. The margin of error for a random survey of 500 British Columbians is ±4.4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

The research was conducted by Nanos Research and commissioned by Bloomberg News.  The questions were cooperatively designed by Nanos Research and Bloomberg News together

The study was a stand alone study conducted for Bloomberg by Nanos with no other questions other than those listed in the tabulations with the question order as presented in the tabulations. This first part of a two part series has all the questions in the first section of the questions in the order they are presented. 

Part 2 will include the last two content questions of the study.  Non-content demographic questions were included at the end of the questionnaire to profile respondents and to weight the data.

Individuals called using random digit dialling and were called up to five times by Nanos and 10 percent of the fieldwork was monitored/validated in accordance with industry standards.

Note: Charts may not add up to 100 due to rounding.

n

Nik Nanos, FMRIA

Chairman

email: nnanos@nanosresearch.com

web: http://www.nanosresearch.com 

Pope Francis Calls For ‘Legitimate Redistribution’ Of Wealth To The Poor

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VATICAN CITY (AP) – On  May 9, 2014 Pope Francis called for governments to redistribute wealth to the poor in a new spirit of generosity to help curb the “economy of exclusion” that is taking hold today.

Francis made the appeal during a speech to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the heads of major U.N. agencies who were meeting in Rome that week.

Latin America’s first pope has frequently lashed out at the injustices of capitalism and the global economic system that excludes so much of humanity.

Francis called for the United Nations to promote a “worldwide ethical mobilization” of solidarity with the poor in a new spirit of generosity.

He said a more equal form of economic progress can be had through “the legitimate redistribution of economic benefits by the state, as well as indispensable cooperation between the private sector and civil society.”

Francis had a similar message to the World Economic Forum in January and in his apostolic exhortation “The Joy of the Gospel.” That document, which denounced trickle-down economic theories as unproven and naive, provoked criticism in the U.S. that he was Marxist.

Francis has denied he’s Marxist, and spent years in Argentina battling Marxist excesses of liberation theology. But he has said from the outset that he wants a church that “is poor and for the poor” and ministers to the most marginal of society.

He  urged the U.N. to promote development goals that attack the root causes of poverty and hunger, protect the environment and ensure “dignified” labor for all.

“Specifically, this involves challenging all forms of injustices and resisting the economy of exclusion, the throwaway culture and the culture of death which nowadays sadly risk becoming passively accepted,” he said.

ITUC World Congress – Poll: Governments told to tame corporate power

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Workers across the globe are losing faith in their national governments whom they see as putting the interests of big corporations ahead of their own, according to a new international public opinion poll from the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).

Released at the opening of the 3rd ITUC World Congress in Berlin, Sunday 18th May, the ITUC Global Poll 2014 commissioned from market research company TNS Opinion, covers the general public of fourteen countries which have half the world’s population.

“The global economy needs co-ordinated action to raise living standards around the world. Seven years into the economic crisis has left structural damage to the global economy and the global workforce with more than 200 million people unemployed and many more struggling with low wages. Governments are in the grip of corporate power and are failing their people”  said Sharan Burrow, General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation.

The poll showed:

  • 79 percent do not believe the minimum wage is enough for a decent life.
  • 82 percent say their wages have fallen behind the cost of living or remained stagnant.
  • 88 percent support lifting the minimum wage in every country around the world.

“The global labour movement meeting in Berlin at the ITUC World Congress has put entrenched business interests on notice. Nearly two-thirds of people want governments to tame corporate power.

People, dissatisfied with their own government’s performance, know they are increasingly in the grip of corporate power.   The world has to change, power needs to be rebalanced.

Big business and big finance must be tamed or democratically elected governments risk becoming mere puppets in economic and social decisions,” said Sharan Burrow.

The poll showed growing levels of uncertainty about family income:

  • One in two can’t keep up with the rising cost of living.
  • Seven out of ten European respondents say their income has not kept up with the cost of living.
  • In the past three years over half the world’s population have not been able to save any money.

“Realising decent wages for working families and those on low incomes means tackling the excesses of the 1 %. When people can’t save, family security is threatened with no capacity to invest in housing or other assets. Savings represent an essential component of long-term balanced growth,” said Sharan Burrow.

The poll showed rising levels of concern about job security:

  • One in two have direct or family experience of unemployment.
  • 41 percent expect their job to be less secure in the next two years.
  • Only one in two people believe the next generation will find decent jobs.

The poll showed distrust in government and the economic system:

  • 68 percent think their government is doing a bad job at tackling unemployment.
  • Four out of five people (78 percent) believe the economic system favours the wealthy, rather than being fair to most.
  • More than half rate the current economic situation in their country as bad.

“When people increasingly fear for the next generation, it should be a warning for governments to act.

People want their governments to reduce the gap between rich and poor, ensure fair wages, and increase job security.

The ITUC represents the largest global democratic community. Workers and their families expect better. We expect better of our governments, and we oppose the corporate bullies that are driving inequality in their own interests,” said Sharan Burrow.

The results of the poll conducted in January in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Russia, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States represent the views of more than 3.7 billion people, or half the world’s population.

Baseball striking out on player pay equity

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Is it so much to ask of an organization to pay its employees a fair wage? Trials and tribulations are part of the journey to the show, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of living a decent life. As fans, we should demand the very best athletes that our dollars can buy. It doesn’t seem that those with two or more jobs get to focus solely on baseball.

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By Bret Thixton  May 18, 2014  http://www.myjournalcourier.com

Under the federal minimum wage, an individual working full-time can expect to earn around $15,080. Most Minor League Baseball players earn between $3,000 and $7,500 in a five month season. The average Major League Baseball player will make $3.39 million in a year.

When thinking of income inequality, the discussion has rarely focused on the professional sports world. While there exist income differences among the major sports, a glaring issue exists in the world of baseball. The numbers above point to a huge gap in the salaries for the athletes in our national pastime.

There can be a number of Minor League affiliates associated with a Major League organization. From AAA to rookie leagues, this system is designed to prepare players to make the leap to the MLB. The development of these players is important to Major League clubs as they work toward the ultimate goal of winning the World Series. However, only a very select few of these players will ever make it to the show. The players who don’t make it to the big leagues serve simply as agents of making sure the ones who do are ready.

The importance of these players can’t be understated. Because of them, the players that eventually make the big leap are prepared for the competition at the highest level.

The MLB has been able to get away with these low wages due to a historical exemption from antitrust laws. They are allowed to set salaries and working conditions without players suing under the Sherman Act. This, combined with the inability to unionize, has led to low wages and no major lawsuits.

A new lawsuit, Senne v. MLB, sparked discussion over the payment of these minor leaguers. This lawsuit, brought on by three former Minor Leaguers, claims that wages were unlawfully low. It is currently in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California for violations of wage and overtime laws.

The usage of contracts is what the MLB will rely on as they prepare to face legal action. Because players voluntarily agreed to these contracts of their pay, they aren’t guaranteed any more pay. The Fair Labor Standards Act classifies players as professional employees, making players exempt. The players either deal with these terms or do not play.

However, the other side is arguing that the MLB is violating the Fair Labor Standards Act and other laws that guarantee minimum wage and overtime pay. In a sport where you must constantly train and perform, it’s easy to put in more than 40 hours in a week. The players who are suing the league claim to put in 60 or 70 hours in a typical work week.

The MLB and MiLB enjoy the low wages for the players and the low cost of attendance for the games, as they are quite popular in the cities they play in. They state that an increase in wages would be passed onto fans. That is not fair, nor the right answer to the issue.

When Alex Rodriguez gets paid $29 million per year, it’s hard to justify not paying the Minor Leaguers a fair wage. By subtracting just $1 million off the top contract in each organization, an organization could pass around $5,000 to each and every player in their MiLB affiliated clubs.

It may not be fair to take money away from those who pull in the top contracts. But at some point, the MLB needs to understand the true value of its Minor League systems. Minor Leaguers playing today make less than those in 1976, while mega deals seem to break records every year.

These minor leaguers often get jobs in the off-season to make ends meet. This doesn’t allow them to focus on baseball in the off-season or play in other winter leagues.

Is it so much to ask of an organization to pay its employees a fair wage? Trials and tribulations are part of the journey to the show, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of living a decent life. As fans, we should demand the very best athletes that our dollars can buy. It doesn’t seem that those with two or more jobs get to focus solely on baseball.

In a culture that worships veterans and the journey to the majors, baseball has lost sight of the importance that these young men bring to the game itself.