July 2,2025
RED FM News Desk
Uber drivers in Victoria, B.C., have successfully formed a union. In a statement released Wednesday, the UFCW called the move a “landmark victory,” announcing that the B.C. Labour Relations Board has officially certified the drivers’ union under the banner of UFCW Canada, which represents over 1.3 million members nationwide. The Victoria drivers will join UFCW Local 1518, the largest private-sector union in British Columbia.
According to the union, the drivers organized to gain essential workplace protections, including better health and safety standards, transparency in the app’s rating system, and fair procedures for account deactivations. UFCW Canada’s national president, Shawn Haggerty, said the drivers are setting a precedent for the rest of the country and pledged the union’s full support as they work toward negotiating a strong, fair first contract.
Uber has only been operating in Victoria since 2023, after receiving approval from the provincial Passenger Transportation Board to take over another company’s license.
The ride-hailing app expanded to offer service across the entire province earlier this year, five years after its initial launch in Metro Vancouver in early 2020. This launch came after years of discussions around legalizing ride-hailing services in B.C.
Since signing a national agreement with Uber in 2022, the union has been actively working with the company. UFCW Canada reports that it has filed over 4,000 cases on behalf of drivers since the agreement went into effect.
“Victoria’s Uber drivers have paved the way for app-based workers in British Columbia,” said Patrick Johnson, president of UFCW Canada Local 1518, in the statement.
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