Small business owners across Alberta have been voicing their unhappiness with the Provinces move to a $15/hour minimum wage.

New numbers from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business show 79% of those surveyed don't want to see it happen.

Senior Policy Analyst with the CFIB, Amber Ruddy says the impact on businesses and the economy won't all be positive.

"From their (Small business) perspective at some point it just becomes unaffordable. We really want to know what this is based upon. And if the government thinks it's so easy to increase wages, why don't we just go to $50/hour, that will solve things? Right? Clearly this is going to have an economic impact and we need to do more research to figure out what that impact is going to be before charging full speed ahead with this."

Alberta's minimum wage will jump a dollar to $11.20/hour this fall, and will be ramped up to $15/hour by 2018.

In the meantime, the CFIB has launched an online petition in hopes of either reversing the governments decision, or at least slowing it down.

In a release, the CFIB says:

The CFIB is also offering to facilitate roundtables with business owners in the major centres across the province.

Business owners have been volunteering to share their perspective and insights with the new government.

When business owners were asked: To what extent do you support or oppose the proposals to increase the minimum wage from $10.20 to $15 by 2018 made by the new Alberta government?

·         Twenty-one per cent are supportive (5% very supportive, 16% somewhat supportive)

·         Seventy-nine per cent are opposed (22% not very supportive, 57% not supportive at all)

“As MLAs and cabinet are at home in their constituencies this summer, they should reach out to small business owners. The first big bump in the minimum wage hits this fall and two short days of consultation simply doesn't cut it.  Entrepreneurs are worked up and want elected officials to show some sign they are listening,” said Ruddy.

The first minimum wage hike is scheduled for October 1.

General minimum wage is slated to go from $10.20 to $11.20/hour and the liquor server minimum wage is set to go from $9.20 to $10.70/hour.

Findings are based on 973 responses, collected from CFIB members in a controlled-access web survey.

Data reflect responses received June 19-29.

To join the campaign to Stop the $15 Minimum Wage, sign the petition.