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 drivers in (Ontario) are making less than half the minimum wage,” Erla Phillips, a truck driver and vice-president of the Rideshare Drivers Association of Ontario, told CP24 during 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 in Toronto 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.

“Really Raw Deal”

Speaking to CP24, NDP MPP Chris Glover called the deal between ride-hailing companies and their workers a “really raw deal” and called on the Progressive Conservative government to scrap Bill 88, the Jobs for Workers Act, which he says will make things worse. .

“There was a tribunal ruling that misclassified Uber and Lyft gig workers as contractors. They are actually employees who are entitled to protections under the Employment Standards Act,” Glover explained.

“So the (Progressive) Conservative government, they passed Bill 88, which created a new subclass of workers called gig workers, and those gig workers are not entitled to protections under the Employment Standards Act.”

In a statement to CTV News Toronto earlier this week, a spokesperson for Ontario's Ministry of Labor acknowledges that “the way we operate is changing” and has made changes that reflect the evolution of day-to-day work in the province.

“That's why our government is leading the way, Ontario is the first province in Canada to enact basic rights for gig workers who provide rides or deliver food to companies like Uber and DoorDash,” the statement said.

Late last year, the City of Toronto introduced ride-hailing license limits to limit the number of drivers downtown at any one time, a move supported by RideFair TO, which said the move would allow the current license. holders earn more.

The cap was eventually lifted after Uber Canada threatened legal action. This issue will be discussed again in March.

Pearson Airport warns of shortage of vehicles due to protest

Officials at Toronto Pearson International Airport have warned that the number of drivers may be limited due to protests outside the city center and urged travelers to plan ahead.

“A reminder that travel options to and from the airport include taxi and limousine services, Union Pearson Express and public transit routes connecting the airport to Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Hamilton and beyond,” the airport said. tweet.

For its part, Uber says Wednesday's protests “rarely” affect rides, prices or driver availability.

“This is because the vast majority of drivers are satisfied,” said a representative of the company.