TORONTO, Aug. 5, 2023 /CNW/ – The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is relieved BC port workers have accepted the new deal.

The strike and the uncertainty it caused in the past few weeks was costly and damaging for small businesses. Although the work stoppage is over, it will take weeks for the backlog to be addressed and, as a result, the financial consequences for small businesses across Canada will be challenging for months to come. 

More than anything, this experience is a case study of the urgent need to rethink Canada’s labour laws, ensuring that the needs of the broader economy and Canada’s international reputation are considered in cases of strikes and lockouts in critical areas. The government should make ports an essential service, so they remain fully operational while negotiations are happening. In addition, the government’s promise to ban replacement workers should be scrapped as it would further tilt the balance of labour laws in favour of unions.

–       Dan Kelly, President, CFIB

About CFIB

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is Canada’s largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 97,000 members across every industry and region. CFIB is dedicated to increasing business owners’ chances of success by driving policy change at all levels of government, providing expert advice and tools, and negotiating exclusive savings. Learn more at cfib.ca.

SOURCE Canadian Federation of Independent Business

For further information: For media enquiries or interviews, please contact: Dariya Baiguzhiyeva, CFIB, 647-464-2814, [email protected]