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A mass rally will be held Friday, November 13 morning in support of locked out Ottawa taxi drivers, members of Unifor Local 1688, more than three months after their employer locked them out after they refused to accept a drastic pay cut.
“Three months locked out has been very difficult on these families. We needed to increase our efforts in hopes of bringing Coventry Connections and the Airport Authority to the table,” said Unifor National President Jerry Dias.
The day will begin with a meeting and rally at 10am at the St. Elias Conference Centre, 750 Ridgewood Avenue, Ottawa. Speakers include Unifor National President Jerry Dias, as well as other supporters of the taxi drivers. A motorcade from St. Elias will begin at 11am.
Unifor is encouraging locals from across Ontario and Quebec to send supporters to Ottawa for the rally, at show their support for the Ottawa drivers.
The lockout began in early August when Coventry, which owns all the cabs in Ottawa, cut a deal with the Airport Authority to drastically increase the fees paid by drivers picking up fares at the airport from $345 to more than $1,300 per month, by tacking $5 onto the cost of every ride.
“Taxi drivers in Ottawa work long hours at minimum wage level incomes. They simply cannot afford such a massive cut in their pay,” Dias said. “This is a cash grab by the airport and Coventry of more than $2 million, on the back of these working families.”
“Unifor has made a reasonable offer to settle this dispute. All we are looking for are serious discussions to find a settlement that’s fair for all involved,” Dias said.
