Talk:Canadian Federation of Independent Business

Untitled
Why is it not worth mentioning that the CFIB is an ISO of Chase Paymentech? As a small merchant, I have been doing what I can to avoid their propoganda for years, but it's only getting worse - you can't be a non-partisan advocate when you directly offer the services (and are compensated by) a highly competitive merchant processor. HarzPattern (talk) 15:20, 25 May 2012 (UTC)


 * I am told by my CFIB representative that Chase Paymentech is offered under the member privilege programs, similar to arrangements that many other organizations have negotiated - i.e. "volume purchase programs" or "discounts" - on behalf of their members. The financial benefit is all passed on to individual members of CFIB who choose to participate in the optional member privilege program; no financial benefit is retained by CFIB - all of CFIB funds for their lobbying efforts come from member dues - in other words no donations - whether corporate, government, or charitable, are accepted by CFIB. Having Chase Paymentech participate in CFIB's member privilege programs is no more a conflict of interest than having Scotiabank participate - despite the fact that CFIB was the lead voice in lobbying efforts opposing mergers of the large Canadian banks on behalf of consumers and SME's in the late nineties.


 * As to your comment regarding avoiding CFIB propaganda - if you really are a small merchant rather than a member of a public sector union or one of Chase Paymentech's competitors - I honestly cannot understand why you would make a comment like that. CFIB is the only effective voice available to SME's to counterbalance that of large corporations, big labour, and big government. The benefits to all SMEs, whether CFIB members or not, have been invaluable since 1971 and without CFIB there would be no life time capital gains exemption, no small business tax rate (it would be 50% or more), and your payroll taxes would be much much higher than they are now. Call it propaganda if you wish, I call it good lobbying.


 * In conclusion, if anyone wishes to add a paragraph describing CFIB's member privilege programs, feel free to do so. Just make sure you follow the guidelines regarding NPOV. Garth of the Forest (talk) 22:38, 12 July 2012 (UTC)

cancel my merchant TD services
they are charging me 250.00 to cancel. what are my options. Alliston Radiator and Mechanical services.
 * This is not a forum for communicating with the CFIB. You need to contact them directly. This page is for discussion of the Wikipedia article about the CFIB. Pburka (talk) 14:52, 9 October 2014 (UTC)

Political Positions
CFIB's political positions excerpt seems grossly out of context, and based on the commentary from a blog post (https://www.raisethehammer.org/article/2113/why_doesnt_the_cfib_support_me) which is also outdated. I would suggest deleting this section as it misrepresents the organization.

Inaccuracies in the Canadian Federation of Independent Business' page (CFIB)
Hi, I am writing you on behalf of my client the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), regarding inaccuracies and partial sources we found on their Wikipedia page.

We listed the inaccuracies we found below, and we were hoping you could help us to deal with this issue. We don’t want to question the functioning of Wikipedia or the intellectual integrity of its authors. We simply want to point out some inaccuracies, unverified or false statements, in order that only verified information from reliable sources is used for this page.

We want to be upfront and disclose the fact that we have a client-provider relationship. Which is why, in order to respect Wikipedia’s conflict of interest policy, we simply listed the inaccuracies and false or unverified statement below, and compiled new sources at your attention. Hoping Wikipedia’s authors can revise as they see fit. We don’t intend on having a say in the final content and trust their judgment in cleaning the page from its inaccuracies. We remain available should you have any questions,

Thanks in advance for your consideration, Raphaelchl Kaiser and Partners (talk) 15:38, 14 April 2021 (UTC)Kaiser and Partners 34 King St E #400, Toronto, ON M5C 2X8

-- Overview: “Traditionally, the CFIB has lobbied against most aspects of the social safety net, including employment insurance, income assistance, old age security and universal medicare.” Current Wikipedia source: https://www.raisethehammer.org/article/2113/why_doesnt_the_cfib_support_me This information is inaccurate, and we can’t find any other sources mentioning that the CFIB has lobbied again social benefits. This source (Raize the Hammer) is very partial, and the author is giving his own opinion about the CFIB, not an analysis based on facts or other documents.

History “Dan Kelly succeeded Catherine Swift as president and CEO as of 2012, and chair of the board in 2014.” – not inaccurate just sounds weird, would be better to say: Dan Kelly has been president and CEO as of 2012, and chair of the board since 2014.

Membership Inaccurate: “While business size is not a criterion for membership, ninety-six percent of CFIB members have less than fifty people on their payrolls. Fifteen percent are self-employed. Members come from a wide array of industries in the Canadian economy” New: Approximately 56% of all CFIB members have between 1-9 employees, 25% have between 10-49 employees and 15% are self-employed. Members come from a variety of industries including, agriculture, construction, healthcare, and others. [1] Source for new: From the CFIB’s website, members by employees and industry [1]

Fundraising False: “As of 2015, the fees ranged from a minimum of $250 a year to $3,500 a year, depending on the size of the business.” New: Monthly membership fees are $30.00, plus $3.00 per employee. As of 2020, 96% of CFIB members pay from $396 a year to $2,124 a year, depending upon the size of the business. [2] Source for new: From the CFIB’s website - https://www.cfib-fcei.ca/en/membership-benefits, under “What does a membership cost?” [2]

Political Activity False: “However, for a long time, they exclusively courted the Conservative Party, and more recently started striving for a broader appeal among all federal parties in the 21st century. According to the group's leader, Dan Kelly, the perception of CFIB ties to the Conservative Party only existed in the mid-2010s because the Tories had been in power for a long time. Kelly says that the organisation also had a close relationship with the Paul Martin's Liberal Party when they were in power.” False: On January 28, 2021, Dan Kelly admitted that the CFIB does not actually believe in 80% of what they’ve presented to Canadians in the past, however they have been unsuccessful in changing their organizational platform.[citation needed][7] -No citations or references to back any of this up

There are plenty of articles of Dan Kelly supporting and advocating for the CFIB. Example: “How Dan Kelly fought for small business survival during COVID”, David-George Cosh, BBN Bloomberg, April 2, 2021 https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/dan-kelly-profile-1.1582460 New: CFIB supports and advocates for small business owners across Canada. CFIB’s mandate centers around driving policy change, promoting better regulations and stronger business environments and fighting for lower taxes for members [3] The CFIB’s primary way of advocating for their members comes from business owner-led petitions and surveys. CFIB also provides resources and information regarding government services on behalf of the membership. [4]

Citations for new: “No, COVID Support Cash Doesn’t Make Workers Lazy. Here’s Who Pushed that Myth”. Dan Guadagnolo. The Tyee, August 17, 2020 [3] https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2020/08/17/COVID-Support-Cash-Does-Not-Make-Workers-Lazy/ “Urban businesses mount slower recovery than rural ones, CFIB says”. CTV News, August 19, 2020 [4] https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/urban-businesses-mount-slower-recovery-than-rural-ones-cfib-says-1.5070553

In addition, the below articles provide some insight on how the CFIB comments in relation to three different parties: -	Conservative Party https://globalnews.ca/news/7678029/coronavirus-david-sweet-ontario-covid-19-restrictions/ -	NDP https://www.carlyleobserver.com/news/local-news/ndp-blames-government-for-job-losses-despite-pandemic-s-impact-1.24294736 -	Liberal https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/federal-government-searchable-database-subsidy-1.5852424

Inaccurate: Dan Kelly stood at the podium with finance minister Joe Oliver when he announced cuts to Employment Insurance rates for small businesses. However, the CFIB was at odds with the Harper government when they ended the long-form census. They also opposed the reforms made to the temporary foreign worker program in 2014.” -No citations or references to back any of this up

New (taken right from article) Dan Kelly had asked the federal government to hold CPP premiums at current levels next year when they’re scheduled to rise, as higher CPP rates would be a financial burden to both employers and employees as they struggle through the pandemic – highlighting another way the CFIB advocates for small business owners [5] Citation for new: “CFIB calls for freeze on Canada Pension Plan premiums set to rise on Jan. 1”. David Paddon. CP24, November 19, 2020 [5] https://www.cp24.com/news/cfib-calls-for-freeze-on-canada-pension-plan-premiums-set-to-rise-on-jan-1-1.5196086?cache=yes%3FclipId%3D104059%3FclipId%3D104062

Inaccurate: “On January 28, 2021, Dan Kelly admitted that the CFIB does not actually believe in 80% of what they’ve presented to Canadians in the past, however they have been unsuccessful in changing their organizational platform.” – Invalid citation/reference to this “quote” Positions during the 2019 Federal election -	Dispute that this section is outdated and irrelevant -	Citations/references are misleading and inaccurate (some don’t even mention the CFIB once) -	Offer to scrap this section altogether

Positions during the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic -	Update this section to reflect additional/accurate references: -	New: During the COVID-19 pandemic, CFIB was a voice for Canadian small businesses, through research that highlighted the impact on small business owners including links to helpful resources. CFIB has also suggested ways to support small business owners through their website and a help line. [6] [7] [8] [9] o	“CFIB wants government to increase interest free loans to business”. Morinville News, June 5, 2020 [6] https://morinvillenews.com/2020/06/05/cfib-wants-government-to-increase-interest-free-loans-to-business/ o	“Businesses in Canadian cities struggling more than rural areas amid coronavirus: CFIB”. Global News, August 19, 2020 [7] https://globalnews.ca/news/7285933/canada-businesses-struggle-coronavirus/ o	“Canadian small business confidence drops in October as Covid-19 cases rise”. Brett Brundale. Investment Executive, October 30, 2020 [8] https://www.investmentexecutive.com/news/research-and-markets/canadian-small-business-confidence-drops-in-october-as-covid-19-cases-rise/ o	“NEW SURVEY REVEALS MOST POPULAR FEDERAL COVID-19 SUPPORT PROGRAMS FOR BUSINESSES”. Isabelle Kirkwood. Betakit, August 10, 2020 [9] https://betakit.com/new-survey-reveals-most-popular-federal-covid-19-support-programs-for-businesses/

Research

Initiatives

Red Tape Awareness Week is an annual CFIB initiative created to fight unnecessary regulations imposed on independent businesses. [10] Over the course of one week, CFIB releases research calling for the deregulation of small businesses.

During Red Tape Awareness week, awards are given by CFIB. These include: •	The Paperweight “Awards”: to acknowledge bureaucratic nightmares and give members the chance to call out regulations that stifle business. •	The Golden Scissors Award: recognizes politicians, public servants and other Canadians who have shown leadership in fighting against red tape to help small businesses thrive.

Citation: “Red tape costs Canadian business”. Yorkton This Week, January 27, 2018 [10] https://www.yorktonthisweek.com/news/local-news/red-tape-costs-canadian-business-1.23156554

Raphaelchl Kaiser and Partners (talk) 18:06, 21 June 2021 (UTC)

Follow up on Inaccuracies in the Canadian Federation of Independent Business' page (CFIB)
Hello,

Back in April, I created a talk section regarding inaccuracies and partial sources we found on this Wikipedia page. I noticed recently that certain changes have been made to the CFIB Wikipedia page, yet many of the inaccuracies and false information that I highlighted in Inaccuracies in the Canadian Federation of Independent Business' page (CFIB) from the Wikipedia page's talk section have still remained. I understand we can't update the page ourselves, but would it be possible for one of your editors to look into the content to remove those inaccuracies, or at least, point out they lack sources? I am creating this new section as a reminder that the inaccuracies that were pointed out last time have not been fixed on the Wikipedia page. As a way to respect Wikipedia's mandate of sharing accurate information, it would be ideal if an editor could make the changes that we pointed out.

Thank you, Raphaelchl Kaiser and Partners (talk) 18:05, 21 June 2021 (UTC)


 * I've made a few changes, but you'll probably have better luck in the future if you make more specific suggestions, including formatted references to support the requested changes. Your April request is a near-incomprehensible wall of disorganized text. You may find the WP:ERW helpful. Additionally, your user name violates Wikipedia's policies against corporate or shared accounts: in the future please use individual accounts. Finally, I should disclose my own potential COI: I once owned a SME in Canada but I never joined nor had any relationship with the CFIB, and I no longer live in Canada. pburka (talk) 23:10, 2 August 2021 (UTC)