In Canada, drivers protested for fair wages

Some drivers in Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver are walking out for the day to protest what they call unfair labor and business practices by Uber, Lyft and Doordash.

Wednesday morning saw more than a dozen drivers in Nathan Phillips Square holding signs calling for fair wages, despite huge profits from the companies they employ.

The protest follows the release of a recent report by advocacy group RideFair, which estimates that Toronto drivers made a median of $6.37 an hour last year.

“Most (Ontario) drivers make less than half the minimum wage, right? Erla Phillips, a truck driver and vice-president of the Rideshare Drivers Association of Ontario, told CP24 at the protest.

Uber Canada said in a statement that drivers in Toronto earned an average of $33.35 an hour during “participation time” before last quarter's tips.

The problem, Phillips says, is that drivers don't get paid for a ride to a passenger or for the time they spend in the app waiting for customers.

“(It's $33.35) for the hour that we're busy and that's the time that we have a passenger in our car,” he said.

“It's not good enough because it's only for an hour.”

Phillips said drivers are looking for a pay-per-kilometer increase comparable to rates in Niagara, Kingston and Windsor, where he said drivers make 50 percent more per kilometer.

Toronto truckers protested what they called unfair wages on February 14, 2024.

Wednesday's protest is one of three across Canada, with demonstrations also taking place in Winnipeg and Vancouver.

Rideshare drivers in at least 44 U.S. cities are expected to shut down the app today, according to RideFair.

Ontario motorists are also calling for stronger measures to protect their government from alleged abuse. Currently, drivers in the province are classified as contractors and do not have the same protections as employees.

This is an evolving story. In the future.