Calgary, October 20, 2025 – Nearly one-third (31%) of Alberta small businesses say the ongoing teachers’ strike is negatively affecting their operations, according to a new survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).
Among those impacted, 71% report staffing challenges, while 45% cite lost sales or revenue and another 41% report decreased productivity.
“As we enter the third week of the teachers’ strike, small business owners are working longer hours, facing added revenue uncertainty, and missing out on growth opportunities,” said Kayode Southwood, CFIB’s Senior Policy Analyst for Alberta. “They’re not just worried about their own operations — they’re concerned about the financial and emotional strain on their employees as well.”
Small business owners shared how the strike has disrupted daily operations. One business owner shared, “the strike has affected our business because all the student hot lunch orders were cancelled. We’ve kept our regular hours and focused more on serving walk-in and take-out customers. We’re also planning a few promotions for kids who are out of school to help bring families in during this time.” Another added, “this is costing me in childcare (for my kid), hours, staffing difficulties, and lost sales.”
To support their teams, many business owners are showing flexibility — adjusting hours, modifying schedules, and even making space for children in the workplace. One respondent noted, “We revamped the staff room to accommodate a couple of our employees’ children on site.”
The teachers’ strike comes at a difficult time for Alberta entrepreneurs. CFIB’s October Business Barometer® shows Alberta has the lowest small business confidence in Canada, with insufficient demand and a shortage of skilled labour cited as the top barriers to growth.
“This strike is just the latest challenge piled on small business owners,” added Southwood. “Between rising costs, the Canada Post strike, and global trade tensions, Alberta entrepreneurs are under immense pressure. Every hour they spend managing these disruptions is an hour they can’t spend growing their business. Amid Canada’s productivity challenges, labour disputes are only adding fuel to the fire.”
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.
Methodology
Preliminary results for the Alberta Teachers' s Strike Survey. The online survey is active since October 16, 2025, number of respondents = 400. For comparison purposes, a probability sample with the same number of respondents would have a margin of error of at most +/- 4.90 %, 19 times out of 20."
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