Toronto, September 22, 2026 – Dan Kelly, President of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), issued the following statement in response to the proposed changes to the Canada Labour Code:
“CFIB looks forward to reviewing the full detail of proposed changes to the Canada Labour Code in the days ahead. It does appear that government is moving in the right direction by putting enhanced tools in place to help resolve disputes that put the larger economy in jeopardy.
Work stoppages in federally regulated workplaces (such as ports, railways, airlines and Canada Post) do not just affect this handful of large employers and their workers. Hundreds of thousands of small businesses and millions of workers in the broader economy are affected when labour disputes happen. Recent strikes and lockouts have cost small business billions. The recent Canada Post strikes alone cost small business owners around $100 million per day in lost productivity and delays.
We've had a decade of pro-union labour law changes, most of which was supported by all parties keen to court political support from unions. These changes have led to a much larger number of strikes and lockouts. When we close our ports, stop our rail and air service and even cancel the mail for months, it doesn't send the message that Canada is open for business.
While the proposed changes are promising, none of this has been tested in the real world. I worry these changes may not be enough or that they may be simply ignored by unions who want to test the government's resolve. Government should be prepared to consider expanding essential services legislation if the new tools fail to reduce the number of work stoppages in Canada's critical supply chain.”
For media enquiries or interviews, please contact:
Dariya Baiguzhiyeva, CFIB
647-464-2814
public.affairs@cfib.ca
About CFIB
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is Canada’s largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 103,000 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.