'National precedent': Uber ride-hailing drivers in Victoria granted union status
One of Canada’s largest private sector unions asserts it has achieved a “landmark victory” for app-based workers, potentially setting a new precedent in the country.
On Wednesday, United Food and Commercial Workers Canada (UFCW) announced it has successfully certified a union for Uber’s ride-hailing drivers in Victoria, British Columbia. According to the union, this is the first group of Uber drivers in Canada to officially unionize, following certification by the B.C. Labour Relations Board under UFCW.
The campaign by the drivers focused on improved health and safety measures, transparency in the app’s rating system, and fair processes for account deactivations. The drivers in B.C.’s capital city will now work with UFCW to negotiate a first-of-its-kind collective agreement with the San Francisco-based global ride-hailing giant.
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“This is a defining moment for the labour movement in Canada,” said Shawn Haggerty, UFCW Canada national president, in a statement.
“The certification of Uber drivers in Victoria shows that workers in every sector — even in the platform economy — can organize and win. These drivers are setting a national precedent, and UFCW Canada is committed to supporting them every step of the way as they work toward a strong, fair first agreement.”
It should be noted that this step was achieved through auto-certification, which allows a union to be certified as the bargaining agent for a group of employees based on the number of signed cards, as opposed to a unionization vote process.
This represents a major escalation in UFCW Canada’s representation of Uber drivers. The company reached an agreement with the union in January 2022 to provide drivers with more representation and improve standards. Since then, UFCW Canada has filed over 4,000 cases on behalf of drivers, resulting in restored account access or positive resolutions to their disputes.
Upon inquiry, Uber Canada spokesperson Keerthana Rang told Daily Hive Urbanized that 94 per cent of their drivers say the platform provides them with the scheduling flexibility they cannot get from a traditional job.
“With the recent modernization of BC labour laws, which now protect that flexibility, drivers as online platform workers can determine whether they want union representation. We will be sitting down with UFCW 1518 to discuss the issues raised by drivers,” she said.
B.C. already has relatively strong regulations and requirements in place for app-based ride-hailing drivers and delivery workers, especially after a series of significant changes were made last year. This also includes the creation of an online platform worker category under the labour laws.
Following the provincial government’s policy changes in September 2024, these workers are entitled to 120 per cent of B.C.’s general minimum wage — which increases annually with inflation — and receive coverage under WorkSafeBC’s workers’ compensation program. Companies must also allow workers to view the destination and estimated pay for each job before accepting it, ensure that all tips go directly to workers (with tips remaining separate from minimum wage calculations), and provide additional protections, guarantees, and transparency measures.
According to a 2023 analysis of gig workers by the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, there are between 26,000 and 60,000 people across B.C. performing work using ride-hailing or food delivery apps. It was similarly noted that the vast majority of gig workers use app-based platforms as a supplemental part-time source of income in addition to their separate full-time jobs.
After initially launching in Metro Vancouver in early 2020, Uber further expanded its ride-hailing services to Victoria and Kelowna in 2023. In late May 2025, Uber expanded its ride-hailing services across the province, serving all municipalities.