It has been a lengthy legal battle with many roadblocks for Hamilton taxi drivers to form a union. The drivers first organized and founded the Ontario Taxi Workers Union in 2009, but have been waiting ever since for their efforts to be recognized by the OLRB.
The board certified the union this week.
"Today we are delighted to celebrate the unity of taxi drivers and their determination to make life better for all drivers," said Ontario Taxi Workers Union President Ejaz Butt.
The next step is to negotiate a first contract with Hamilton Cab Co.
"We hope our message is heard by the City of Hamilton and the brokers," said Faheem Shahid, Ontario Taxi Workers Union Vice-President. "Let's make it clear to them that we are united today and will remain united so that we can live and work with respect and dignity."
The problem #1 is that there are too many taxi's
ReplyDeletefor the city of hamilton, for the drivers to make money. For the past couple of years taxi drivers have lost money in wages, that they use to make and are finding it very difficult to make a decent wage to pay for their families and themselves. When you break it down the drivers, after paying the high fees for the use of a cab, and now with the price of gas has been eating away at their wages and really make approx. $7/hr, they are the lowest paid employee of this city. And the hours they work to just make ends meet is impossible for these essential hard workers. So the people of Hamilton please help these workers and tip them well, especially the ones who are kind and helpful to the elderly, the disabled. Yes there are some drivers who just sit in their cars while you strugle with parcels, groceries etc. and all drivers should command the English language and know the city and outskirts. And is a union really necessary, to have to pay union fees on top of all the other expenses they have?