The simultaneous work stoppages at Canada’s three largest ports are damaging many small businesses and costing our economy hundreds of millions every day, says the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.
Jasmin Guénette
Jasmin Guenette, Vice-President, National Affairs, CFIB, said the current shutdowns at the Port of Montreal and BC ports cannot drag on any longer.
“Last year’s 13-day strike at BC ports was disastrous for small businesses and the Canadian economy. The current work stoppage in BC is already in its fifth day and in Montreal, it is entering its second week. How long can the government let the whole situation last? BC ports and the Port of Montreal need to be made fully operational immediately. Businesses cannot afford to have their revenue vanish due to lost trade, inventory and sales ahead of the peak holiday retail season,” he said.
“The longer these work stoppages last, the longer it will take for the backlog to clear and for supply chains to be fully restored. Canada’s economic growth remains slow. The federal government must take action as the longer these work stoppages drag on, the greater the impact will be on Canada’s economy, productivity and viability of many small businesses.
“The work stoppages can’t last any longer. The federal government must immediately introduce binding arbitration or legislate workers back to work. Ports across the country must also be deemed essential, so they remain operational at all times and so we avoid stoppages at critical times for small businesses in the future.”
The CFIB is Canada’s largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 97,000 members across every industry and region.
Mario Toneguzzi
Mario Toneguzzi is Managing Editor of Canada’s Podcast. He has more than 40 years of experience as a daily newspaper writer, columnist, and editor. He was named in 2021 as one of the Top 10 Business Journalists in the World by PR News – the only Canadian to make the list. He was also named by RETHINK to its global list of Top Retail Experts 2024.
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