Uber drivers in Victoria are forming Canada’s first rideshare union.
What happened: The B.C. Labour Relations Board officially certified a union of Victoria Uber drivers under United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Canada.
- This certification marks the first successful formal labour board-certified unionization for rideshare drivers in Canada, building on UFCW’s national agreement with Uber in 2022 to provide support for drivers.
Why it matters: The unionization of Victoria’s Uber drivers sets an important precedent for the possible unionization of workers who earn a living through internet platforms, like rideshare drivers, delivery couriers, and other gig workers.
- B.C. treats “dependent contractors” — gig workers who nevertheless mostly depend on a single company for their income — as employees in certain cases, meaning they may be entitled to collective bargaining rights.
Zoom out: In France, one of the only other places in the world where rideshare workers are unionized, drivers across all platforms have bargained collectively to win higher minimum wages and stronger worker protections.
What’s next: Uber and the drivers’ union must now negotiate the terms of the collective agreement, which is likely to encompass thorny issues, like algorithmic management of drivers, that are newer territory for labour negotiations.—TS