‘Significant challenge’: Businesses face impacts of Alberta teachers’ strike

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business says the labour dispute between the province and teachers is reducing productivity.

While teachers and parents are directly feeling the pressures of provincewide school closures, the strike is also impacting Alberta businesses.

With students forced out of classrooms during the labour dispute between the province and teachers, some families are forced away from work to care for and arrange alternatives for their children.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) says the provincewide school closures due to the teachers’ strike are reducing productivity.

“The longer the strike goes on, the more small businesses are going to be impacted. It’s really exponential day by day, the losses that they experience with the loss of being able to work,” said Kayode Southwood, the CFIB’s senior policy analyst for Alberta.

Southwood says during Saskatchewan’s teachers’ strike last year, one-third of small businesses reported negative impacts, including staffing challenges and lost sales and revenue.

That’s a concern for VRCore, which offers virtual reality programs for schools.

The Alberta company has had to postpone 10 visits already due to the strike.

“As time goes on, there’s less and less spots to fill them in, and so it’s possible that we straight up lose that revenue,” said Jason Van Hierden, VRCore CEO.

While Van Hierden hopes for a quick reduction, he understands the challenges the dispute is trying to address.

He sees it as a parent and the owner of a business that goes inside many schools.

“It’s unfortunate both parties weren’t able to make things work over the summer and then again here in the first part of the year, but firsthand, I’ve seen how there’s not enough teachers in schools,” said Van Hierden.

When it comes to staffing concerns due to families caring for kids, some organizations are able to help their workers.

Easter Seals Alberta usually offers summer camps to people with disabilities and medical conditions but is now using its Bragg Creek facility and camp counsellors to provide educational programs for children of their staff and anyone else in the area who needs it.

“We have a variety of people who work for us who do have young children, and this was going to be a significant challenge for them, and so we really wanted to make life easier for them and support them in every way that we could, and knowing that we have this property and we have these individuals on staff already, we really wanted to take advantage of that,” said Katherine Such, Easter Seals Alberta CEO.

It’s been a relief for Easter Seals program manager Chantel Algadzis, who does not have family in the Calgary area available to watch her 11-year-old daughter all day.

“It’s been very helpful, and I can focus more on my work and get to the things I need to,” she said.

While Alberta businesses are feeling the impacts, some are also showing their support for teachers, offering free and discounted food and drinks during the strike.

This includes Brewsmith Brewing, Tool Shed Brewing Company and The Dandy Brewing Company.

The CEO and co-founder of The Dandy was once an Alberta teacher himself about a decade ago.

“Teachers are just so important. Our entire future is based on the next generation, and the teachers are the ones who are doing that. … I couldn’t imagine being in the classroom right now with that many kids and how that affects the learning for each one. So doing this, we just want to show our support and (say) thank you for what they’re doing,” said Benjamin Leon.

The CFIB says the teachers’ strike is the latest challenge, with businesses already facing pressures related to U.S. tariffs and the postal strike.

The CFIB has asked Alberta to eliminate the small business tax this year due to all of the pressures companies are facing.