By Doug Nesbitt Three notable labour policy changes were made in the first week of April, 2022: April 4: The federal government announced a significant loosening of Temporary Foreign Worker restrictionsApril 6: British Columbia’s government announced Bill 10 to deliver “card check” or single-step union certificationApril 7: Ontario’s government Bill 88 became law, imposing sub-minimum Continue readingLabour laws in Canada do the Backwards Shuffle
Gig economy
“The opposite of everything the labour movement should be doing” By Dan Darrah and Doug Nesbitt On January 27, Uber Canada and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) announced they reached a “landmark agreement” covering 100,000 Uber workers in Canada. As the press release states, “UFCW Canada can provide representation if requested by drivers Continue readingUFCW signs controversial closed-door deal with Uber
By Doug Nesbitt It’s a sad state of affairs when a Conservative Party leader comes across as the champion of workers and unions. Conservative Party leader Erin O’Toole has started the election by making big announcements. His plans are said to be pro-union and pro-worker. After his Labour Day 2020 address, we made the case: Continue readingCorporate O’Toole’s bait and switch scheme
By Doug Nesbitt With files from Dan Darrah In a new press release, Uber has proposed new changes to “reinvent independent work” in Canada. Called “Flexible Work+,” Uber claims it will start paying into individual benefits, while calling upon provincial governments to make changes to policies to improve work conditions. Gig Workers United— a union Continue readingUber launches new union-busting offensive in Canada
Food courier Alexander Kurth discusses how Foodora workers in Toronto organized a union Introduction to the gig economy By Jordan House and Paul Christopher Gray The “gig economy” and the spread of app-based work have become prominent topics of conversation, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Foodora, an app-based food delivery company, has become particularly notorious Continue readingGig Workers, Unite! Inside the Foodora union drive
by Anna Bianca Roach Foodora workers laid their bikes on the ground, stood two metres apart, and blocked Richmond Street traffic in front of the company’s office on Friday afternoon. The workers chanted and gave speeches protesting Foodora’s recent decision to withdraw from the Canadian market. Foodora couriers won the right to unionize roughly two Continue readingCouriers block traffic to protest Foodora’s withdrawal from Canada
Workers in the “gig economy” are organizing to transform the precarious working conditions in their sector. On November 6, Foodora couriers and Uber drivers hosted a morning rally outside of the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) to draw attention to their respective union drives with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) and United Food Continue readingGig workers rising: Foodora couriers and Uber drivers organizing for justice
By Tannara Yelland Bike couriers deliver food in cold weather and hot, and when the weather is the worst, demand for their services is highest. Nobody wants to be outside when it’s -40, but for workers doing a precarious job with no security, that demand often translates into feeling compelled to work in unpleasant or Continue readingGig economy workers strike back