Canadian Labour Reporter

lAboUr brieFs 2 Canadian HR Reporter, a Thomson Reuters business 2014 unifor applauds possible uber legislation at Queen's Park TORONTO — Ride-sharing companies such as Uber could be facing stiff fines and penalties if a private member's bill is passed at Queen's Park — a move lauded by unions. Introduced on Dec. 3 by John Fraser, member of provincial parliament for Ottawa South, the Protecting Passenger Safety Act would amend parts of the High- way Traffic Act by beefing up the penalties for drivers picking up passengers without a licence, per- mit or authorization. Should it pass, the bill would increase fines, ranging from $500 to $30,000 per offence, and drivers could have three demerit points knocked off their licence. For subsequent offences, drivers could face a 30-day vehicle im- poundment and 30-day licence suspension. "This legislation is about en- suring that the rules in place for the safety of passengers are being followed — and that municipali- ties have the right enforcement tools to address these problems when they are not," Fraser said. According to the City of Ot- tawa, investigations into illegal cab operations revealed drivers oper- ating under the influence of drugs and alcohol, with criminal records and without insurance or licences. Fraser's bill was welcomed by unions, which have long sought tough regulations for ride-sharing companies such as Uber. "Strong legislation is needed to protect the public against ban- dit taxis in Ontario," said Amrik Singh, president of Unifor's local 1688 chapter, which represents taxi drivers in Ottawa. Because Uber bills itself as a ride-share service as opposed to a taxi service, its drivers are not required to hold licences, which raises passenger safety and insur- ance concerns, Singh said. "Those licences, regulations and bylaws are there to protect the public and ensure a stable taxi in- dustry," he added. In Mississauga, Ont., Uber has been required by the city to get a broker's li- cence. The City of Toronto's li- censing and standards division has filed an application for a court injunction against the company, citing public safety. On the west coast, in British Columbia, the provincial government has re- quired that Uber apply for limou- sine licences in order to operate. The company intends to put up a fight. CN Rail, Steelworkers union reach tentative deal TORONTO — CN Rail reached a tentative collective agreement with the United Steelworkers union, which covers about 3,000 employees. On Dec. 8, USW's local 2004 chapter, said it had negotiated a four-year contract with the na- tional rail company for its main- tenance workers, who inspect and repair track, bridges and in- frastructure. "Following very difficult and challenging negotiations over the last several weeks, we have reached a tentative agreement on a four-year contract," said Randy Koch, president of the chapter. "This agreement includes im- provements on key issues affecting the working and living standards of our members." Details of the new deal are forthcoming, but will not be re- leased until all members of the bargaining unit have participated in the ratification vote. That could take at least a few weeks, according to the union, because its members are located all over the country. The current agreement expires Dec. 31. Ahead of its busiest season, Amazon.com workers in Germany have ramped up strike action as labour union Verdi presses demands for better wages and working conditions. FoRmeRLY CLV RePoRtS Serving labour relations professionals since 1956 www.labour-reporter.com Published weekly by omson Reuters Canada Ltd. Subscription rate: $595 per year Customer Service tel: (416) 609-3800 (Toronto) (800) 387-5164 (outside Toronto) Fax: (416) 298-5106 email: carswell.customerrelations@ thomsonreuters.com Website: www.carswell.com Director, Carswell media Karen Lorimer Publisher John Hobel Associate Publisher/managing editor Todd Humber Lead editor Sarah Dobson | (416) 649-7896 sarah.dobson@thomsonreuters.com News editor Sabrina Nanji | (416) 649-9348 sabrina.nanji@thomsonreuters.com News editor Liz Foster | (416) 298-5129 liz.foster@thomsonreuters.com marketing Co-ordinator Keith Fulford | (416) 649-9585 keith.fulford@thomsonreuters.com © 2014 Carswell, a division of omson Reuters Canada Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher. e publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional advice. If legal or other expert assistanceis required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. e analysis contained herein represents the opinion of the authors and should in no way be construed as being either offi cial or unoffi cial policy of any governmental body. ISSN 0045-5113 Publications Registration 2089 Canadian Labour Reporter is part of the Canadian HR Reporter group of publications. Visit www.hrreporter.com for more information. Labour Reporter Canadian www.labourreporter.com Photo: Ina Fassbender (Reuters) lAboUr lens

• Cover