"TAXI DRIVERS WILL WIN OUR RIGHTS"

People's Voice interview with Canada Taxi Drivers Association's President, Jamshid Bagherzadeh.

People's Voice: The just released findings of the study on the conditions of the taxi drivers in Toronto paints a grim picture of working people making far less than minimum wage even while working long hours. Can you tell us a bit of the background of this report?

Jamshid Bagherzadeh: The history of the Toronto taxi industry has never been the focus of an serious study. Of course, there were a few surveys done last in the twenty years to legitimize the city's attempts to "reform" the industry due to the drivers frustration and struggle. The last two surveys and studies had brought about the 1998 Ambassador program. This actually further divided the drivers as it created a two-tier car plate system and over-flooded the market. Internationally, standards talk about an average of 1800 people to one cab. Currently in Toronto, the ratio is at 500 to one.

     There are many serious issues facing Toronto taxi drivers. We have long been subject to racial profiling by the police and the law enforcement agencies. Random checks and multiple ticketing for no reason have always been major concerns. Excessive ticketing may cause drivers to be taken to the Licensing Tribunal and have their licences suspended.

     Currently drivers work long hours, making wages way below the minimum standard. Because they are conveniently labelled as "self employed entrepreneurs," they are exempt from provincial labour standards, which cover health and safety, holiday pay, minimum wage, etc.

     Last year we sent a delegation to New York to attend a conference organized by the New York Taxi Drivers Alliance. We became founding members of the International Taxi Workers Alliance (ITWA) which has now 31 member organizations around the world. We immediately started networking with other cities and exchanging information and local expertise.

     A study done by the Los Angeles Taxi Worker alliance caught our attention. We put a call out in Toronto to some progressive organizations to help us with a similar study. We got a great response from three academics at Ryerson and University of Toronto Osgoode Law School. Aparna Sundar, Sara Abraham and Dale Whitmore are the principal authors of this report. We helped arrange for interviews with our members, and we are absolutely thrilled at their work.

     The final report was officially released on February 13 at City Hall in presence of the media and some councillors. The response from the media, the public and our members was overwhelmingly positive.

PV: What are the recommendations from the report?

JB: Form a drivers' association, recognized by the City, to represent driver interests and to collect information and statistics about work conditions.

- Require brokerages and plate owners to negotiate collectively with drivers over lease, shift, and brokerage fees.

- Move existing lease and shift drivers to owner-operator and/or employee status without further increasing the total number of taxi plates in Toronto.

- Conduct a city-sponsored survey, with recommendations, on policing practises in relation to the taxi industry.

- Create a taxi worker benefits fund out of revenue earned from fees and penalties paid by drivers.

 - Study the use of protective shields.

  - Resolve the issue of the double standard in airport exemption under a principle of fairness.

     On the last note, let me explain with two specific examples. The limousine drivers are by law allowed to pick up passengers from the airport, but the police chose to turn a blind eye when they picked up passengers from the city to the airport [which is not allowed]. On the other hand, our drivers are subject to harassment by the police and the port authority if we take passengers from the airport on our way back. The law should be for all, but the police prefer to impose it only on the taxi drivers.

     Another example of unfairness of the system (of which there are many) is when during the major blackout in North America, the taxi industry lost a lot of income. The city of Toronto compensated the big taxi companies while totally ignoring the taxi drivers. This is totally unjust. 

PV: How did the city react to the findings of this report?

JB: (Councillor) Howard Moscoe, head of the Licensing & Standard Act Committee, was present at the release of the report. He said that he agreed with the findings that taxi drivers are making below the minimum wage and has invited the authors of the Taxi Report for a private meeting on March 19.

     The next challenge is to bring the taxi drivers up to Ontario Labour Code standards, so that we are entitled to the basic benefits and retirement fund. We are willing to work with the City on these issues, but if there are delaying tactics or unnecessary obstacles, our next stop will be with the Ministry of Labour, Human Rights Commission and Employment & Immigration Canada

PV: Do you have any last comments?

JB: The system that governs the City of Toronto is focusing on petty issues like providing two dollars for the shift drivers and three dollars for the leasees. The City can deny all the findings of this report, but the important thing is whether or not they recognize the taxi drivers association, or whether the taxi drivers are entitled to benefits. We keep on hearing mutterings from City officials that our demands are far-fetched. The truth of the matter is that the taxi drivers association is the main driving force that struggles for fairness and basic rights for our members. Just think: after working 20, 30 or 40 years, what do we have for our work for the city? No health benefits, no pension fund, no social or economic safety net that would provide for us. That will not be so. We will fight and win our rights, rain or shine!

PV:  Well, we wish you a good fight, unity amongst your membership and the victory will be yours!

JB: Thank you for the opportunity to express our voice through your paper.

Found at: http://www.peoplesvoice.ca/articleprint14/03.%20TAXI_DRIVERS_WILL_WIN_OUR_RIGHTS.html