Canadians showing more support for striking workers amid inflation, corporate profits

Some 3,700 Metro employees in the Toronto area walked off the job this summer .

Inflation and rising interest rates have eaten into everyone’s bottom line.

In the private sector, the general public has little sympathy for giant, profitable corporations, a professor says.

Labour experts in Canada usually rely on polls about individual labour disputes to gauge public sentiment.

Public support plays a key role in public-sector bargaining because it's taxpayer money on the line, says Savage.

Talks often come down to disagreements over things like classroom sizes and transit regularity.

But the public’s heightened support of striking workers isn’t something unions can count on to last, said Savage .