Uber Canada signs deal with union offering workers dispute representation

TORONTO — Uber Technologies Inc. has signed an agreement with a private sector union that will provide representation to Canadian drivers and couriers, but does not unionize workers.

The San Francisco, Californiabased tech giant said Thursday it is partnering with United Food and Commercial Workers Canada, a union representing at least 250,000 workers at companies including Maple Leaf Foods Inc., Loblaw Companies Ltd. and Molson Coors Beverage Co.

The partnership allows UFCW Canada to provide representation to about 100,000 Canadian drivers and couriers, if requested by the workers, when they are facing account deactivations and other disputes with Uber.

Workers will not be charged for the representation, which will be jointly covered by Uber and UFCW Canada.

“We’ve come together to find common ground and blaze a new trail towards a better future for app-based workers,” said Andrew Macdonald, Uber’s senior vice-president of global rides and platform, in a statement.

“Through this agreement, we’re prioritizing what drivers and delivery people tell us they want: enhancing their flexibility to work if, when, and where they want with a stronger voice and new benefits and protections.”

Uber drivers and couriers are considered to be independent contractors because they can choose when, where and how often they work, but in exchange, they have no job security, vacation pay or other benefits.

Gig Workers United, a delivery workers advocacy group, was disappointed couriers had not been consulted.

“This is the illusion of a union. This is the illusion of workers representation, but it is not,” said Brice Sopher, a Toronto UberEats courier representing the group.

“It is more so to give Uber the protection, the veneer of being progressive, while they will continue probably to push for the regressive rolling back of worker’s rights.”

His comments come as Uber faces increasing global pressure to recognize couriers and drivers as employees and to, at least, better compensate and give them more rights.

Samfiru Tumarkin lawyer Samara Belitzky, for example, is representing Uber Eats courier David Heller in a class action arguing those working for Uber should be entitled to minimum wage, vacation pay and other protections because they meet the definition of employees under Ontario’s Employment Standards Act. Belitzky doesn’t think the agreement Thursday will impact workers much.

“On paper, it looks like it may be giving some very limited additional rights or benefits to the drivers, but practically speaking, it doesn’t give them very much,” she said.

The agreement also raises conflict-of-interest concerns because Uber will be paying for representation going up against the company.