This week marks one year since Uber Canada and UFCW Canada signed an agreement to give over 100,000 workers on the Uber platform access to representation, and to advocate to provincial governments for new benefits and protections for all app-based workers. As a reminder, the benefits Uber is jointly advocating for are a 120% minimum earning standard, a benefits fund, notice of termination, health and safety protections, and access to workers’ rights.
Today, Uber is releasing a report that shows how this agreement has been working for drivers and delivery people over the last year. Key highlights are:
- Through representation services offered by the agreement, UFCW Canada filed cases on behalf of 794 workers.
- Of those cases, 201 had a positive resolution. 72 workers regained access to the platform and 129 had an account-related issue resolved.
I’m also sharing a couple of stories from drivers who were helped through the agreement:
Waseem from Ontario
Waseem came to Canada from Pakistan in 2003 and lives in Mississauga with his family. He’s been driving with Uber for the last six years because he gets to work for himself and does not have a fixed schedule. He also enjoys meeting people and likes how professional and easy the app is to use. In the summer of 2022, Waseem got a new vehicle and was having difficulty uploading his insurance documents. The app eventually blocked him and deactivated his account due to potential fraud. This resulted in seven weeks without earnings. Waseem turned to UFCW Canada and they helped him resolve the issue by working with his insurance company and with Uber. Now he’s back on the Uber platform with his new vehicle.
Sandeep from BC
Sandeep has lived in Surrey, BC with his family since 2019. He started driving with Uber during the pandemic because he likes the flexible schedule and is able to make a good earning. Last year, his account was deactivated due to a misunderstanding with a rider and their drop off location. Sandeep was having a hard time getting his account reactivated through Uber’s support channels. He received an email from Uber about its agreement with UFCW. He contacted UFCW who helped take his case to Uber, and after a couple of months, his account was reactivated. Now he’s happy to be back on the road.