Phillips only Canadian recognized by American award

Toronto rideshare driver Earla Phillips is the only Canadian to be recognized as a “Voice for Fairness” at the annual Drivers Union award ceremony in Seattle, Washington.

Phillips, an Uber driver and one of the founders of the Rideshare Drivers Association of Ontario (RDAO), was flown to Washington State last week to receive the award with other organizers, all of whom were American.

She says she was “blown away” when she was informed that her work was being recognized.

“It’s amazing to be recognized,” she told Road Warrior News. “Because, being an unpaid organizer and labor advocate, you don’t often get any kind of ‘thank you.”

“To be recognized is an accomplishment, it’s a nice feeling to know that somebody is saying, ‘Thank you for your work. We really appreciate you.’ That is kind of like a payday,” says Phillips, who often acts as a media spokesperson for Uber and Lyft drivers in the Greater Toronto Area.

Phillips does not see the Voice for Fairness award as the completion of anything, but the beginning of the next phase of her work, she told RWN.

“I’m not going to change. I’m going to continue to fight. I’m going to continue to learn and collaborate with people like George Wedge (the president of RDAO), and I’m going to continue to collaborate with RideFAIR, too, because the majority of what they’re fighting for aligns with how I feel and what I’m fighting for: we are fighting for fairness.

“I’m not just fighting for me or other ride share drivers, I’m also fighting for the other vehicle-for-hire, for other driver classes, the taxi drivers, the limo drivers, for fairness for them.

“I’m fighting for the public, for a sustainable service, one that is not exploitative of the workers, service that’s also going to not compete with public transit, but complement transit in places and areas, and for people who cannot use it at the moment. We can do it in an environmentally responsible manner,” Phillips adds.

“It can be done.”