TORONTO, Sept. 27, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UFCW activists will be joining Toronto-area Uber drivers on September 28, as Uber drivers in dozens of other cities across the globe stage a worldwide protest to shed light on Uber’s arbitrary and unfair practices.
Under the guise of technological innovation, Uber has been allowed to relinquish any responsibility to its drivers, who as a direct result find themselves risking their health, safety, and basic human dignity.
“We are the backbone of Uber’s business model and we are tired of not receiving the respect and rights we deserve,” says Ejaz Butt, a Toronto-area Uber Black limousine driver and a UFCW Canada union member. “The time for action is now.”
Since launching the Uber Drivers United (www.ufcw.ca/uber) campaign in 2019, UFCW has become the leading voice for app-based drivers in Canada, Uber Black drivers in Toronto, and is heading union organizing efforts in British Columbia, Alberta, as well as other parts of the country.
“UFCW Canada stands with Uber and app-based drivers around the world in their call for respect and human dignity,” says Pablo Godoy, National Coordinator of Gig and Platform-Employer Initiatives at UFCW Canada. “Both Uber and our governments must be held to account when it comes to protecting workers in the gig economy. We are calling on all activists and allies to support this action to shed light on the Uber drivers who are fighting for their health, safety, labour, and union rights.”
A Toronto-area in-person rally is scheduled for September 28, 2021 from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm at the Uber Main Office at 1980 Matheson Blvd. East, Unit A Mississauga ON, L4W 5N3.
Actions the drivers are demanding from Uber:
- End unfair deactivation of driver’s accounts
- Access to data and transparency
- End the unfair rating system
- Provide better health and safety for drivers
- Employment rights (end misclassification of drivers)
- Respect City of Toronto bylaws
About UFCW Canada
UFCW Canada is the country’s leading private sector union, representing more than 250,000 union members across Canada working in food retail and processing, transportation, health care, logistics, warehousing, agriculture, hospitality, manufacturing, and the security and professional sectors. UFCW is the country's most innovative organization dedicated to building fairness in workplaces and communities. UFCW Canada members are your neighbours who work at your local grocery stores, hotels, airport food courts, taxi firms, car rental agencies, nursing homes, restaurants, food processing plants, and thousands of other locations across the country. To find out more about UFCW and its ground-breaking work, visit www.ufcw.ca.
Contact Information
Pablo Godoy
National Coordinator of Gig and Platform-Employer Initiatives
UFCW Canada
403-542-2366
pablo.godoy@ufcw.ca
www.ufcw.ca/uber
