The United Steelworkers union (USW) stands in full solidarity with the approximately 150 precarious delivery drivers working for Dragonfly and Intelcom who are now in their seventh day of protest in Saskatoon after drastic cuts to per-package pay rates that have pushed workers to a breaking point and are now being terminated for their actions.
“These workers are speaking out against declining wages, unsafe working conditions and provincial labour laws that leave gig and contract workers with virtually no protections under Saskatchewan labour law,” said Scott Lunny, USW Western Canada Director.
Drivers have reported to the USW that pay has fallen from $1.89 per package last year to just $1.35 per package today, despite skyrocketing fuel prices, rising SGI insurance rates, vehicle maintenance costs and inflation. Workers also say the job is becoming financially unsustainable.
Equally disturbing are the serious workplace safety concerns being raised by drivers. Workers have reported being pressured to continue working after dog bites or face fines, being denied adequate bathroom breaks, being expected to drive during dangerous winter storms and face steep penalties if all assigned packages are not delivered.
“No worker should have to choose between their safety and their livelihood. What these drivers are describing is exploitation in one of its clearest forms. Multinational corporations and delivery contractors are profiting off workers who are taking on all the risk, all the costs and receiving fewer protections in return,” said Lunny.
Dragonfly operates as a third-party delivery service for companies including Amazon, with drivers recruited through Independent Delivery Contractors (IDCs), who reportedly take a percentage of drivers’ earnings. Workers say the current model leaves them isolated, vulnerable and without meaningful recourse when concerns are raised.
This situation highlights exactly why these workers need strong union representation.
“When workers have a union, they can negotiate collectively for fair wages, decent benefits, health and safety protections, job security and dignity at work instead of being forced to individually fight billion-dollar corporations and contractors alone. No worker should have to walk off the job simply to be heard. That’s why the USW is proud to be working with these workers to obtain union representation – because they deserve better,” said Lunny.
The USW is calling on the Saskatchewan government to immediately investigate the allegations raised by these drivers and take urgent action to strengthen protections for gig and contract workers in the province.
“We are here to stand with these drivers as they deserve better than poverty wages and unsafe conditions. They deserve a collective voice and the power that comes with union representation,” added Lunny.
About the United Steelworkers union
The USW represents 225,000 members in nearly every economic sector across Canada and is the largest private-sector union in North America, with 850,000 members in Canada, the United States and the Caribbean.
Each year, thousands of workers choose to join the USW because of the union’s strong track record in creating healthier, safer and more respectful workplaces and negotiating better working conditions and fairer compensation – including good wages, benefits and pensions.
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter
Alberta’s future is on the ballot and Steelworkers have a choice to make. We need solutions, not scapegoats. Leadership, not chaos. Our focus should be on strengthening health care, making life more affordable, protecting good jobs and building a better future for working families. That’s why the United Steelworkers union is encouraging members across Alberta […]
Local elections and their advance voting are underway across B.C. and for Steelworkers, the people who get elected in our communities matters, deeply. In the resource communities where thousands of our members live and work, municipal governments make decisions that affect our jobs, families and communities. Strong local leaders can be our champions for forestry, mining […]
Long-term project partnerships create meaningful international alliances and sustainable development for workers and marginalized communities. The Steelworkers Humanity Fund (SHF) marked ten years of working with the Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI), empowering forestry workers and local unions across India. This alliance has connected Canadian union activists from the USW national Wood Council with […]