{"id":3267,"date":"2024-06-17T10:15:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-17T14:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/?post_type=ceo-notes&p=3267"},"modified":"2024-06-14T16:15:23","modified_gmt":"2024-06-14T20:15:23","slug":"we-are-a-national-community-of-restaurateurs-our-collective-action-can-and-will-make-our-operating-environment-easier-but-it-will-require-everyone-to-act","status":"publish","type":"ceo-notes","link":"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/fr\/ceo-note\/we-are-a-national-community-of-restaurateurs-our-collective-action-can-and-will-make-our-operating-environment-easier-but-it-will-require-everyone-to-act\/","title":{"rendered":"We are a national community of restaurateurs. Our collective action can and will make our operating environment easier, but it will require everyone to act."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This week\u2019s update is focused on a new Restaurants Canada campaign calling for a reduction in EI premiums: Lift the Strain<\/em><\/strong>. Regional VP reporting will return in the next edition of the CEO Update.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Professor Ian Lee of Carlton University presents the findings from his report on the impact of EI Premiums on small business at a press conference in Ottawa while Restaurants Canada\u2019s President and CEO, Kelly Higginson, looks on.\u00a0<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We are a national community of restaurateurs. Our collective action can and will make our operating environment easier, but it will require everyone to act.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be successful in this campaign, we need YOU, our members, to help.<\/strong> We are asking you to participate in our letter writing campaign and advocate with us on your social channels. Please read on and take action TODAY<\/strong>. It will only take a few minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our industry has shown remarkable resilience in recent years, overcoming economic uncertainties and unprecedented challenges. Today, as the fourth-largest private sector employer in Canada, restaurants are more than just dining establishments; they are vital job powerhouses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As small businesses from all sectors will no doubt attest, relentless headwinds have made it impossible for many to continue, evidenced by the small business bankruptcy rate, which has doubled since 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The livelihoods of countless employees, especially youth and newcomers, depend on the success of our restaurants. When we struggle, the impact is felt far beyond our doors\u2014affecting suppliers, local economies, and the vibrant communities we help sustain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Restaurants have to be economically viable to achieve their broader purpose within our communities. In findings outlined in a recent, important report, \u201cOn the Precipice \u2013 Help is Needed<\/em>,\u201d by Carleton University Associate Professor Ian Lee, PhD, EI premium increases<\/strong> threaten to be the final nail in the small business coffin. Restaurants and other small businesses are already buckling under the combined weight of crushing rent, utility and food costs, topped by pandemic-related debt repayments and minimum wage increases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To address these challenges, Restaurants Canada has announced our latest campaign to Lift the Strain<\/strong><\/a> on small businesses and restaurants across the country. Here are our key points:<\/p>\n\n\n\n