Calgary, October 6, 2025 – The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is raising concerns about the impact of today’s strike action and province-wide school closures on Alberta small businesses.
“Small businesses are already grappling with economic uncertainty and staffing shortages. Today’s announcement further adds to their challenges,” said Kayode Southwood, CFIB’s Senior Policy Analyst for Alberta. “When employees are forced to stay home to care for children during work hours, productivity drops, and in many cases, so do sales.”
Experience in other provinces highlights the impact of such labour disruptions. When Saskatchewan’s teachers went on strike in 2024, one-third (33%) of small businesses reported a negative impact on their operations. Of the businesses impacted, 74 per cent said they experienced staffing challenges, while 24 per cent experienced lost sales and revenue.
According to CFIB’s Business Barometer®, Alberta small business confidence is below optimistic, with insufficient demand and a shortage of skilled labour cited as the greatest limitations to sales and growth.
“Further disruption is the last thing small businesses need right now”, added Southwood. “We urge the Alberta government to work toward a swift resolution to minimize harm to entrepreneurs, their employees, and the communities they serve.”
For media enquiries or interviews, please contact:
Kayode Southwood, CFIB
403-489-7595
kayode.southwood@cfib.ca
About CFIB
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is Canada’s largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 100,000 members (10,000 in Alberta) 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.
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