Truck Drivers Demand Reforms Amid Wage Theft Crisis in Canada

Truck drivers across Canada are calling for significant reforms to combat exploitation within the industry, especially following the recent federal government’s “inspection blitz.” This initiative aims to address the misclassification of employee drivers as independent contractors, a practice that has resulted in widespread wage theft, unsafe working conditions, and health violations.

Karanveer, an Ontario truck driver, voiced his concerns during an interview with rabble.ca, stating, “The millions of dollars to crack down on driver misclassification is very good. My only question to them is, why are you bringing a bulldozer to cut off a branch? If you have a bulldozer, you should uproot the whole tree.” Karanveer is advocating for comprehensive changes to the Canada Labour Code, quicker action on reports of wage theft, and enforceable pay orders for employers who withhold wages.

In early November, the federal budget introduced a commitment of $77 million over four years to tackle non-compliance related to personal services businesses. Additionally, the government announced an “inspection blitz” targeting the Hamilton and Greater Toronto areas to ensure adherence to federal labour standards and workplace health and safety regulations.

These new measures stem from the years-long Justice for Truck Drivers campaign, led by Karanveer and other activists. Since obtaining his trucking license in 2021, Karanveer has lost nearly $40,000 in unpaid wages. His experiences included unlawful deductions for truck damage at his first job and multiple delays in payment at his second, where he often received bounced checks when requesting urgent funds for essential living expenses.

“A lot of common people think, ‘If they are doing this, why do you get hired?’” Karanveer shared. “It’s because you really want to improve your whole life. But when you try to improve your life, this is what you encounter.” After nearly five years in the industry, he noted that such exploitative practices have become commonplace, driving many drivers away from the profession and potentially harming the Canadian economy.

According to data from the Canadian Transportation Economic Account, the transportation sector contributed approximately $168.1 billion to Canada’s GDP, or around eight percent. Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hadju emphasized the importance of a strong workforce, stating, “A strong and resilient workforce is built on equal opportunities, and fostering inclusivity is essential to strengthening Canada’s economy.”

Karanveer additionally highlighted the need for an improved accountability system for truckers facing wage theft. He filed two complaints with the labour court against his former employers, but the slow processes at the Canada Industrial Relations Board left him without resolution for far too long. “If you file a case now, your application will sit for 12 months before an officer is assigned to you. Then they start the investigation, which can take another one or two years. After two or three years, you might finally get a payment order. And then the employer can ignore it,” he explained. “Years wasted. Money gone. Lives broken.”

On November 22, 2023, the Justice for Drivers coalition hosted a national town hall event that attracted over 200 registrants. Attendees united in a call to end misclassification, establish minimum pay rates for drivers and owner-operators, and ensure compensation for every hour worked to restore livable wages.

“There is a line I carry with me: ‘The true measure of any society is how it treats its most vulnerable members,’” Karanveer remarked during the event. “If that is true, then the measure of Canada is being decided right now — by how we treat truck drivers, by whether we protect migrant workers, and by whether we allow greed to win.”