Share
About 300 airport limousine drivers, members of Unifor Local 252, marched through the Arrivals area of Pearson Airport twice in May to highlight the inconvenience to travelers and unfairness to drivers of a GTAA decision to move limos away from the main arrival doors.
“I have been in you cars and known that I am safe,” Unifor Ontario Region Director Katha Fortier told the drivers.
The move leaves the prime pick-up area open to Uber drivers to scoop up unsuspecting travelers arriving at Pearson from around the world. The Greater Toronto Airports Authority implemented the new policy May 5.
"We are here today to tell the GTAA we paid for this door, and we want it back," said Unifor National Representative Barry Lines, outside the main domestic arrivals door at the airport.
Limo driver Karamjit Bajwa said drivers found out about the change when a notice from the GTAA was posted in their lunchroom.
“Not a single driver was consulted,” he said. “We tried to talk to the GTAA, but they won’t listen.”
Limo drivers pay the GTAA $7,400 per driver per year, plus other fees. For decades, the fees allowed them to line up outside the main arrivals doors. Under the new policy, that space is open only to pre-arranged rides, including Uber.
GTAA Commissioners shuttle travellers to Uber drivers, called Scoopers by the limo drivers. While the limo drivers must continue to pay the GTAA fee, but without access to the prime curb space, Uber drivers don't pay that fee and now dominate the space.
"All we want is fairness," Lines said. "We pay an anti-scooping fee to keep Scoopers out."
Lines said the move is causing inconvenience for travelers, who now often arrive to find no cars waiting for them, and costing drivers two to three rides a day –hundreds of dollars in lost income every week.
Unifor will continue to meet with the GTAA to reverse its decision.
