Hundreds of delivery drivers protest downtown to demand dignity and fair pay from employers

Some of Toronto's food delivery drivers are saying enough is enough. A group gathered in Nathan Phillips Square Monday to call on the tech companies they work for to step up. I have delivered an order for $3, which is for 6 kilometers. And it took me 45 minutes to deliver for the $3 order. The drivers who deliver for major food apps like Uber Eats, Skip and DoorDash say it's difficult to make a living doing so. And that's not to mention the long hours under unsafe conditions. We are working like 24 by 7. We are, you know, we are running these cities. We are doing everything. We are putting our lives on risk on roads. We are on our e-bikes, we are risking our lives, you know, to deliver something good for the customers. And so the drivers took off up Bay Street toward Uber Canada's headquarters at Bloor and Church Streets. There they delivered a letter demanding a living wage, including fair and transparent base pay calculations and compensation for unexpected wait times, improved health insurance coverage, including for on-the-job accidents, and basic workplace dignity, including guaranteed access to restaurant washrooms and indoor waiting spaces. The rest of the city needs to see what's happening, and that's going to be workers taking the streets, effectively what their workplace is, and bring those demands right to the Uber's head office. Most of these drivers are making $1.50 a delivery for 30 minutes, $3 a delivery, and Uber made $52 billion last year. In a statement provided to CBC Toronto, Uber Canada says it provides pay transparency and meets provincial minimum wage standards while preserving the flexible work model courier's value. Skip and DoorDash both provided similar statements, but the drivers take issue with the idea that their work is supplemental and flexible. The individualized nature of this job, which is gig work, and we keep on calling it gig work, but many of these guys work 15-hour days, 12-hour days for less than minimum wage. They also want the general public to be aware that some things are just outside of their control. Sometimes I wait for an order for 30 minutes, and the customer thinks that I'm the one wasting time, I'm the one just not going to the customer. Uber put this pressure also on the drivers, and it's also on DoorDash, it's the same. Like, if you're not on time, we're going to take from your ratings. Organizers say the rally is just their first public demonstration, and they're planning others with the goal of getting delivery platforms to the bargaining table. Tyler Cheese, CBC News, Toronto.