(CITY OF WINNIPEG / FILE)
A new poll commissioned by Manitoba’s largest labour union suggests Winnipeg residents want the city to shift its procurement strategy toward public delivery and local purchasing.
The survey, conducted by Probe Research from February 13 to 27, found 69 percent of Winnipeg residents support having garbage collection performed by city workers rather than private companies, while 31 percent prefer private contractors.
“We know that city workers do the work not for profit, which means that money is staying here in our economy,” said Gord Delbridge, president of CUPE 500. “It’s really good to see that public support for city workers.”
On procurement, the poll found 93.2 percent of respondents support the City of Winnipeg giving preference to local companies over American companies, compared with 6.8 percent who said American companies should be treated the same.
Delbridge said the findings strengthen CUPE’s call for city council to review large contracts awarded to U.S. firms.
“They need to go back to the drawing board on this,” he added.
The survey also suggests residents are willing to pay more to keep spending local: 76 percent agreed the city should pay a little more to support local providers, while 11.8 percent favoured prioritizing lower-cost American goods and services.
In Manitoba, CUPE represents about 40,000 workers across sectors including health care, education, municipal services and social supports.
