CFIB statement on the settled strike at BC ports

Toronto, July 13, 2023 - The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) welcomes today’s news that both the union and the employer accepted the terms of settlement proposed by the mediator putting an end to the strike at BC ports. 

The past 13 days were painful and stressful for small businesses, over half of whom (53%) said they were impacted by the strike. Businesses in the manufacturing (69%), wholesale (68%), and retail (66%) sectors were most affected by the strike at the ports.

Now is the time to get the economy rolling, clear the backlog and get shipments moving as soon and as quickly as possible. Even if port activities resume today, it will take months before the supply chain backlog created by the strike is fully addressed.

We must learn from our lessons to avoid any potential future strikes that would paralyze the economy and impact businesses’ bottom line and reputation. The BC ports strike was costly for many small businesses. To ensure our economy is not held hostage by another similar strike in the future, the government should consider making ports an essential service. It’s important that the ports are fully operational while new collective bargaining agreements are being negotiated.

-    Dan Kelly, President and CEO, CFIB

For media enquiries or interviews, please contact:
Dariya Baiguzhiyeva, CFIB
647-464-2814
public.affairs@cfib.ca  

Methodology:
Preliminary results for the Your Voice – July 2023 survey. The online survey is active since July 6, 2023 and will be closed July 24, 2023, number of respondents = 1,519. For comparison purposes, a probability sample with the same number of respondents would have a margin of error of at most +/-2.5%, 19 times out of 20. 

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.