Uber Union Expands to Kamloops and Kelowna - The Tyee

Listen to this article 4 min The Uber drivers’ union has expanded into the B.C. Interior, bringing more than 1,000 Kamloops and Kelowna-area drivers under the first collective agreement for app-based ride-hailing workers in Canada. ANNOUNCEMENTS, EVENTS & MORE FROM TYEE AND SELECT PARTNERS Vancouver Fringe Festival Turns Up the Music The free Fringe Patio on Granville Island will feature all-ages live music co-presented with Coastal Jazz over the Labour Day Weekend. The workers unionized with United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1518, the same union that organized Victoria-area Uber drivers last year. On Tuesday, they joined the existing four-year contract for the Greater Victoria drivers. The expansion will entitle Interior drivers to quarterly bonuses, a $500 wellness fund and the ability to appeal customer ratings when their account is deactivated. “I’m super excited,” said UFCW 1518 president Patrick Johnson. “Hopefully this continues to evolve what it means to be a platform worker, whether it’s at Uber or any gig-based company.” Laura Miller, Uber Canada’s head of public policy and communications, said in an email the agreement protects drivers’ flexibility and provides new benefits to app-based workers. “This expansion shows that the model is working as intended,” Miller said. “Government can set clear minimum standards, while workers, unions and platforms use collective bargaining to build on them.” The expansion comes after the BC NDP updated labour laws for about 46,000 app-based ride-hailing and food delivery workers. The changes, which came into effect in 2024, defined app-based gig workers under the existing B.C. labour laws and included a unique minimum wage and a per-kilometre allowance to help workers cover vehicle costs. At the time, drivers said the new standards had glaring holes that meant they remained on the road for long hours for low pay. Last year, drivers told The Tyee they still spend significant amounts of time waiting for rides and managing restaurant delays with no pay. B.C. Labour Minister Jennifer Whiteside committed to reviewing the legislation last year. Victoria Uber Drivers Get Wage Bonuses, Wellness Fund READ MORE But the laws still left room for drivers to unionize and negotiate for better conditions. Last year, about 500 drivers in Greater Victoria became the first ride-hailing workers to unionize in Canada. Their first collective agreement was ratified in April. By then, it covered 1,000…