Latest news with #CorinnePohlmann
Cision Canada
21-05-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
CFIB calls on Parliament to deal with unfinished business as sitting resumes Français
TORONTO, May 21, 2025 /CNW/ - As Parliament gets set to reconvene on May 26, nearly two-thirds (62%) of small business owners are not confident that Canada's new federal government is committed to supporting small business, finds new data from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). "Parliament needs to act quickly to address some unfinished business that can provide some much-needed certainty and cost relief to small business owners. It's deeply worrisome and disappointing that the government is not planning to introduce a budget in this sitting as we need a budget to get some important tax policies across the finish line," said Corinne Pohlmann, Executive Vice-President of Advocacy at CFIB. Some of those key small business priorities that are urgently needed include: Tariffs: Ensuring that the money collected through Canadian counter tariffs is returned quickly to affected Canadian small businesses. Carbon tax: Passing legislation to formally eliminate the carbon tax and returning the remaining $600 million in 2024-25 carbon tax rebates to small businesses Tax-free rebates: Ensuring the small business carbon tax rebates are delivered tax free as promised. Other employer rebates, such as Workers' Compensation Boards (WCB) rebates, must also be delivered tax free to boost the economy. Capital gains: Delivering on the promised increase to the Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption to $1.25 million and implementing the promised Canadian Entrepreneurs' Incentive which would lower capital gains taxes on up to $2 million following a business sale. Small business tax rate: Lowering the federal small business tax rate from 9% to 0% for the foreseeable future. Internal trade: Working with provinces to capitalize on the current momentum towards the elimination of internal trade barriers by adopting mutual recognition. "Ottawa needs to move as quickly as possible on economic and tax reduction policies. The cost of doing business is already high, and tariff-fueled uncertainty could cause irreversible damage if it's not addressed quickly. This government has a long list of outstanding promises to small business owners that it needs to address quickly. It has to provide a clear roadmap for the months ahead," said Jasmin Guenette, CFIB's vice-president of national affairs. Small business owners can sign CFIB's petition calling on the federal government to lower the costs of doing business. Methodology Your Voice – May 2025 survey – Launched May 6, 2025 (ongoing). Results as of May 13, based on 1,420 CFIB member responses. For comparison purposes, a probability sample with the same number of respondents would have a margin of error of ±2.6%, 19 times out of 20. About CFIB The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is Canada's largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 100,000 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
Vancouver Sun
20-05-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
What happened last time Canada Post workers went on a strike?
Postal workers are expected to go on strike at the end of this week, after Canada Post received notice from the union on Monday. The announcement comes more than six months after Canada Post workers went on strike in mid-November. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) said the decision to strike was due to a year of unresolved negotiations. The union said, in a news release at the time, that workers wanted fair wages, safe working conditions, the right to retire with dignity, and the expansion of services at the public post office. As the strike approached mid-December, many small businesses were struggling to get their goods delivered , said Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) executive vice president of advocacy Corinne Pohlmann. Canada Post said it missed delivering roughly 12 million parcels in early December . On Dec. 13, former minister of labour Steven MacKinnon, who is currently the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, said in a post on X that he had asked the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) 'to assess the likelihood of the parties reaching negotiated agreements by the end of 2024 under the current circumstances.' Statement on the dispute between the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) and Canada Post. If the CIRB found that the union and the corporation could not reach an agreement by the end of the year, MacKinnon said it would order Canada Post's employees back to work. The union called the government's involvement an 'assault' on the constitutional right to collectively bargain and strike. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'Small businesses have written off Canada Post for this holiday season,' said CFIB president Dan Kelly in a news release on Dec. 13 . He added that it would take weeks to clear backlogs in the system. According to CFIB data, 73 per cent of small business owners said they would be using Canada Post less in the future because of the strike. CFIB called for an 'immediate truce' and for Canada Post and its employees to 'resume operations while continuing to work through their differences.' Despite CFIB's pleas and MacKinnon's announcement, negotiations continued unsuccessfully. The union condemned government involvement. 'This order continues a deeply troubling pattern in which the government uses its arbitrary powers to let employers off the hook, drag their feet, and refuse to bargain in good faith with workers and their unions,' the union said . However, MacKinnon said the ongoing conflict had reached a 'critical point' that was affecting Canadians, including those who needed essential parcels such as medications and official documents. The CIRB held two days of hearings. It made the decision to order Canada Post employees back to work on Dec. 17, after a 32-day-long strike. Canada Post reasserted its commitment to reaching negotiated agreements with CUPW that would help the company 'better serve the changing needs of Canadians and provide good jobs to those who provide the service.' Meanwhile, the union called the decision 'disappointing.' The terms of the collective agreement were extended until May 22. Following the order, the union and the corporation have continued negotiations. 'When the parties met in December, January, and March, many of our issues remained unresolved,' the union said on May 2. Just over 10 days later, Canada Post said it was taking a 'temporary pause in discussions.' On May 16, after hearings held this year between the union and Canada Post, a final report from the Industrial Inquiry Commission was released. It was presented as an ' objective assessment of the challenges facing the postal system and the fundamental obstacles in the negotiations between Canada Post and CUPW.' The commissioner of the report, William Kaplan, provided recommendations such as revising the Postal Charter's delivery standards and ending the moratorium on post office closures and conversions to community mailboxes. The union said the recommendations amounted 'to service cuts, contracting out, and major rollbacks to important provisions in our existing collective agreements' and that Canada Post had still not presented them with concrete plans. Canada Post said it received strike notice on Monday, and that operations will continue as usual at this time. 'The potential for another strike comes at a critical moment for the postal system,' it said in a news release on Monday. 'Canada Post Since 2018, the Corporation has recorded more than $3 billion in losses before tax, and it will post another significant loss for 2024. In early 2025, the Government of Canada announced repayable funding of up to $1.034 billion for Canada Post to prevent insolvency.' Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Cision Canada
14-05-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
CBSA's payment requirements come at the worst time for Canadian importers Français
TORONTO, May 14, 2025 /CNW/ - Canadian importers and trade chain partners have until May 20 to enrol in the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)'s new program which allows their goods to be cleared at customs without paying duties and taxes on arrival. However, new data by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) shows that nearly half (45%) of importers are not registered with the program, and another 18% are unsure if they need to be. All Canadian importers must be fully registered with CBSA's new Assessment and Revenue Management System (CARM) and post financial security, with cash or bond, before May 20 if they wish to participate in the Release Prior to Payment (RPP) program. If importers aren't registered with the new system, they'll have to physically show up at the border and pay duties and taxes to have their goods released. Until this change, importers mostly relied on their customs brokers to manage this process for them as part of the service they provided. "We're already seeing disruptions to supply chains and cross-border trade. Now is not the time to push for these changes," said Corinne Pohlmann, Executive Vice-President of Advocacy at CFIB. "Currently, there are only two options to meet the RPP requirements, and none of them are appealing for a small business operating on a tight budget. Smaller importers, especially those importing only once or twice a year, would rather have an option of paying with a credit card on file than provide a cash deposit or buy a yearly security bond. CFIB sent a letter to the government urging it to make an exemption for smaller importers from the current financial security requirements under the RPP program or allow them to use a credit card instead. CFIB is also asking government and border agencies to be lenient with importers during the first few years of CARM's implementation and prioritize education over penalties. "It's going to be chaos at the borders. For small importers, it's burdensome having to go through the registration process and post financial security on top of dealing with tariff pressures. They already have so much on their plate, that going ahead with the new rules would just seem tone deaf," said Michelle Auger, CFIB's senior policy analyst. For more information on CARM and how to register, visit Methodology Final results for the Your Voice – April 2025 survey. The online survey was conducted April 10-24, 2025, number of respondents = 2,561. For comparison purposes, a probability sample with the same number of respondents would have a margin of error of ±1.9%, 19 times out of 20. About CFIB The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is Canada's largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 100,000 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
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
CBSA's payment requirements come at the worst time for Canadian importers
TORONTO, May 14, 2025 /CNW/ - Canadian importers and trade chain partners have until May 20 to enrol in the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)'s new program which allows their goods to be cleared at customs without paying duties and taxes on arrival. However, new data by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) shows that nearly half (45%) of importers are not registered with the program, and another 18% are unsure if they need to be. All Canadian importers must be fully registered with CBSA's new Assessment and Revenue Management System (CARM) and post financial security, with cash or bond, before May 20 if they wish to participate in the Release Prior to Payment (RPP) program. If importers aren't registered with the new system, they'll have to physically show up at the border and pay duties and taxes to have their goods released. Until this change, importers mostly relied on their customs brokers to manage this process for them as part of the service they provided. "We're already seeing disruptions to supply chains and cross-border trade. Now is not the time to push for these changes," said Corinne Pohlmann, Executive Vice-President of Advocacy at CFIB. "Currently, there are only two options to meet the RPP requirements, and none of them are appealing for a small business operating on a tight budget. Smaller importers, especially those importing only once or twice a year, would rather have an option of paying with a credit card on file than provide a cash deposit or buy a yearly security bond. CFIB sent a letter to the government urging it to make an exemption for smaller importers from the current financial security requirements under the RPP program or allow them to use a credit card instead. CFIB is also asking government and border agencies to be lenient with importers during the first few years of CARM's implementation and prioritize education over penalties. "It's going to be chaos at the borders. For small importers, it's burdensome having to go through the registration process and post financial security on top of dealing with tariff pressures. They already have so much on their plate, that going ahead with the new rules would just seem tone deaf," said Michelle Auger, CFIB's senior policy analyst. For more information on CARM and how to register, visit MethodologyFinal results for the Your Voice – April 2025 survey. The online survey was conducted April 10-24, 2025, number of respondents = 2,561. For comparison purposes, a probability sample with the same number of respondents would have a margin of error of ±1.9%, 19 times out of 20. About CFIBThe Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is Canada's largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 100,000 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 SOURCE Canadian Federation of Independent Business View original content to download multimedia: Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
