TORONTO, June 24, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hundreds of Uber drivers in Toronto have joined UFCW Canada (United Food and Commercial Workers union), the country’s leading private-sector union. On Wednesday, June 26, 2019 at 11 a.m., Uber drivers and their union will hold a media conference at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel to discuss the challenges Uber drivers face, and the redress they and their union are seeking from Uber.

Uber drivers don’t get paid sick days, vacation days or extended health coverage, and must cover their own fuel and repair costs. A recent study by the Economic Policy Institute calculated that after costs, most Uber drivers earned less than $10 an hour. “Uber calls us partners, but we have absolutely no say about our working conditions, or even being able to take a bathroom break,” says Ejaz Butt, who works for Uber and helped start the union drive. “We know we make a lot of money for Uber but in return we get treated like we don’t matter.” Butt and other Uber drivers will be at the June 26th Toronto media conference.

“Companies like UBER, who can hire and fire drivers and fully dictate the terms of employment should be held accountable for the well-being of their employees,” says Paul Meinema, the National President of UFCW Canada. “Uber is the employer. The drivers are employees. The technology is just a management tool and the company should adhere to the labour laws,” says the UFCW Canada leader, who will also be participating in the June 26th media conference in Toronto.



TORONTO MEDIA CONFERENCE – WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26 – RE: UNION DRIVE AT UBER

WHAT:

Toronto Uber drivers and their union, UFCW Canada, discuss the union drive at Uber and what it means for the drivers, Uber, and the gig economy.

WHEN:

Wednesday, June 26, 2019 at 11 a.m.

WHERE:

Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel

Kenora Room

123 Queen Street West

Toronto, ON M5H 2M9

WHO IS AVAILABLE FOR THE INTERVIEW?

Paul Meinema, National President

UFCW Canada



Ejaz Butt, Uber driver

Union activist



Pablo Godoy, National Co-ordinator, Gig and Platform-Employer Initiatives

UFCW Canada

About UFCW Canada: UFCW Canada represents more than 250,000 union members across the country working in food retail and processing, transportation, health, logistics, warehousing, agriculture, hospitality, manufacturing, security and professional sectors. UFCW Canada is the country's most innovative organization dedicated to building fairness in workplaces and communities. UFCW Canada members are your neighbours who work at your local grocery stores, hotels, airport food courts, taxi firms, car rental agencies, nursing homes, restaurants, food processing plants and thousands of other locations across the country. To find out more about UFCW and its ground-breaking work, visit www.ufcw.ca .