March 29 -Vic Uber drivers could make history

Good morning !

Maybe I’m an optimist, but I see the aggressive nonsense emanating from the Oval Office as an opportunity for us to evolve as a country. Let’s diversify our trading, including interprovincially, and our global partnerships.
Let’s get out from under the US’s sad shadow and move forward.

—Mark  

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌦️ 11 / 6

Tomorrow: ⛅ 12 / 6

Monday: 🌧️ 10 / 6

NEWS

Victoria Uber workers could be first in Canada to unionize

Uber drivers in Greater Victoria are waiting to learn if they will become the first unionized workers for a ride-hailing app in Canada.

“We’re feeling good about it, certainly,” said Patrick Johnson, president of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) International Union Local 1518. In an agreement with Uber, UFCW already provides drivers with free representation in certain disputes.

“There’s been very, very strong support.”

Local drivers voted last week on certification, but a decision on whether a union is formed could be some time away.

UFCW 1518 initially sought certification by signing up drivers who wanted a union. BC’s labour code calls for automatic certification if more than 55% of potential bargaining unit members sign union cards. If more than 45% sign, the BC Labour Relations Board would order a vote on unionization.

Johnson said more than 500 drivers signed union cards before UFCW applied for certification on March 10.

Read more here.

Gig drivers at forefront of over a decade of labour-rights clashes

Drivers with Uber, Lyft, and other ride companies have been involved in high-stakes union drives and political referendums at various points in the past decade, especially in the US. In some jurisdictions, these have prompted re-evaluations of which workers get classified as an employee vs. an independent contractor.

In Canada, the drivers are technically contractors but are in some ways (such as new tax reporting laws) treated similarly to employees. In BC, gig workers were extended many employee-style protections last summer. Labour boards are also, in general, able to adjudicate whether certain contractors function as de facto employees.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Missing person: Jordan, 31, may have been seen near Cedar Hill Cross. [Saanich Police]

Temporary Nellie McClung Express Library has opened at Shelbourne and Donnelly. [Details]

Next week of weather expected to alternate between sun & cloud and rain.

Victoria Royals open playoffs with a win, 3-0 at home over Tri-City.

Downtown demonstration and CCTV deployment today. [1-4pm] A rally for Palestine & against arms sales is scheduled. Tomorrow, a rally supporting protests in Turkey is slated for the Legislature grounds at 5pm.

Paving on Gorge E. today from Bridge to Rock Bay. [7am-7pm]

NEWS

Each facing 15% tax increases, Sooke & Langford take different paths

Sooke opted to stay the course to help preserve future budgets, while Langford has deferred some costs.

This month, Langford’s council chose to trim the 2025 increase by one-third, from 14.5% to 9.8% (or roughly $30 to $20 per month for average households).

Mayor Scott Goodmanson cited “the uncertainty of current financial conditions and the need to be prudent.”

Major cost drivers included inflation, city services, the Latoria bike lane/sidewalk project, nine new firefighters (to fully staff Happy Valley), and four new RCMP officers—down from a requested five hires, but still part of an 80% rise in Langford RCMP costs in the 2020s.

And then there’s the 911 dispatch cost, which the province is making several local municipalities start paying this year.

‘The high cost of low taxes’

Langford’s council reduced several costs, including city hirings, debt servicing, and city travel & training. But Director of Finance Michael Dillibeau has flagged that delaying costs will make for a tax increase sometime down the road—which jeopardizes the lower annual hikes (5 to 6%) Langford plans for the late 2020s.

Coun. Keith Yacucha compared this to “pushing snow down the driveway instead of shovelling it.”

Sooke wants to get its shovelling done now

Sooke is sticking with a tax hike of 15.3% ($20/month more per average household). Rising costs come from ongoing capital projects (such as the Throup-Phillips road project), asset management, and services such as the RCMP contract and the aforementioned 911 dispatch. 

Coun. Tony St. Pierre called it a “bitter pill to swallow for a community that’s been used to much lower increases,” but said Sooke simply needs roads and services. 

Council intends the hike to help manage the fast-growing (and infrastructure-straining) population and prevent unexpected hikes later in the 2020s, when they're supposed to dip to 3.4%. 

Read more on both budgets at The Westshore.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

🚍 HandyDart Centre open house in View Royal. [Today 10am-2pm]

🏒 WHL playoffs tonight: Tri-City Americans at Victoria Royals. [Game 2 at 6:05pm]

🏒 Victoria Cougars 100th anniversary weekend. [CHEK]

🤝 Now hiring:  Payroll and Accounting Officer at The Truffles Group.

🗞️ In Other News

Woman recovering from spinal surgery in Victoria General hallway
Lindsey Hay’s only privacy comes from a blanket fort set up for her by nurses. Going home is “not an option” as she recovers from an operation for a spinal-cord injury. Hay was in a shared room until this week, when she was moved to the hallway—next to the garbage room—with no option for turning the lights off. Island Health says it’s unlikely Hay will be there for the next two weeks of her stay, but hospital capacity is constantly changing (on Thurs., Vic Gen was at 108% capacity). [CHEK]

Eby walks back key part of tariff response bill after backlash from stakeholders
BC’s premier says the NDP has removed the section that would allow the cabinet to bypass the legislature and implement regulations in response to foreign tariffs—the US’s unpredictable tariff agenda in particular. Eby says he “didn’t get the balance right” between creating the ability for the government to move quickly and ensuring safeguards. The decision to scale back came after negotiations with Nikki Sharma (the NDP's attorney general) and the two Green MLAs. The bill is to be debated when the legislature resumes on Mon. [CBC]

Dangerous driver gets 30 days in jail after ramming police cruiser in Colwood
Zachary Stormes, 24, sped and twice eluded police, slamming into a squad car, before being forcibly removed from his Mitsubishi. He also had three knives, police said, in breach of a release order related to weapons offences. Once released, he won’t be allowed to drive for two years. [RCMP] 

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🗓️ Things to do

📚 Spring Fling Book Fair: More than 40 independent Victoria writers will be selling their books. Browse and meet area authors. Free admission, door prize drawn every hour. Fernwood Community Centre. Today. 10am-4pm. [Info]

🌻Garden City Grooves Fest: This free show will feature Skyla J & Oz, a couple shows play dub-infused house & soul; The Earthly Delights, roots-rock & reggae; Poncho, a Ghanaian-Victorian rising star; and a mystery headliner. First Met Hall. Tomorrow. Doors 7pm. [Info] 

👑 The Princess Bride in Concert: Watch the beloved film while the Victoria Symphony performs its unforgettable score live. Royal Theatre. Tonight 7pm. Tomorrow 2:30pm. [Info]

🧺 Home and Garden Market at Bilston Creek Farm: Explore a curated selection of local vendors and artisans—offering home décor, garden items, and more. Bilston Creek Farm. Today and tomorrow. [Info]

🎶 Lucia Lucas Recital: See the boundary-breaking trans opera performer at the Wood Hall in the Victoria Conservatory of Music. Tomorrow. 4pm. [By donation]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Friday’s headlines: BC backs active transportation with funding for municipalities; Hummingbird nest delays North Park paving project; Langford getting more chid-care spaces. [Mar. 28] 

Sale of certain sunscreens could be banned in Lake Cowichan. [CHEK]

Poll worker positions for the April 28 federal election. [How to apply]