Many people are hoping to see ride hailing launched in BC soon and while UFCW welcomes the service, it wants to see it done properly.
Local 1518 President Kim Novak says UFCW Canada has been working on this for quite some time where ride hailing companies have been operating and it wants to do it right when it comes to BC. Novak says there are places where these companies exist that are now trying to backtrack, so it is important to get it done right before they begin operating. She says it doesn’t want to see what is happening in places like New Jersey happen here. “A law suit there where the government has determined that these drivers are in fact employees and there are hundreds of millions of dollars in outstanding unemployment taxes that haven’t been paid. And so what we’re looking at doing is let’s establish it when these ride hailing companies come into BC, let’s do it right from the beginning so that this can be a success for everyone involved and the public, the drivers, and the health and safety is upheld.”
Novak says right now the agreements indicate that drivers are not employees. “And we say that they are. They’re absolutely reliant on Uber and Lyft and the various other ride hailing companies that are there for ratings and to be able to get future employment and future rides.” She says it raises a number of issues. “They wouldn’t have access to basic BC employment standards and so things like minimum wage, health and safety regulations, that we know are very critical issues to drivers outside the BC jurisdiction. And essentially having the ability to ensure that they are going to be paid for the work that they’re doing when they are reliant on these employers to ensure future rides.
Novak stresses that they’re in favour of ride hailing, they just want it done right when they launch.