Uber protesters allowed picket line, driver convoy at Pearson
Uber and Lyft drivers have received a permit from the Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA) for the protest planned for today at 2pm. The goal of the action is not to delay travellers but to raise awareness of how the Uber’s new up front pay system is costing drivers money.
“There will be three elements to the Uber drivers’ protest at Pearson International Airport today,” George Wedge told Road Warrior News. Wedge is the president of the Rideshare Drivers Association of Ontario and a key organizer of the protest event, which Wedge says is “an awareness campaign, not a strike. We do not have a collective agreement; our goal is to make consumers and the public aware of how Uber’s new ‘up front pay’ algorithm is costing drivers.”
The permit issued by the GTAA allows protesters to do three things: picket on the ground at Terminals 1 and 2; use the UberX waiting lot as a rally point and media centre; and a rolling convoy which will drive in a figure 8 around the terminals.
“There may be other tactics, yet to be seen,” Wedge adds.
RDAO says it has been collecting data from drivers, who are now seeing a reduction in already low pay since Uber rolled out the “up front pay” algorithm on October 8th.
“Uber has a $4 billion fleet in Toronto,” Wedge points out, “for which they paid nothing. All of the investment comes from the drivers, who paid for the cars.
“If Uber was (clothing company) Joe Fresh, using child labour in Asia, shareholders would stand up and take notice of what they are doing,” he says. “Times are different. Shareholders seem not to notice drivers’ poverty wages.”
