Ottawa Blue Line Taxi drivers end strike

File photo: Blue Line Taxi (Tyler Fleming/CTV Ottawa)

Ottawa Blue Line Taxi drivers have ratified a new collective agreement, ending their strike nearly three weeks after it started.

In September, Unifor announced its members voted 93.6 per cent in favour of a strike after Coventry Connections, the owner of Blue Line Taxi, notified drivers that it would be increasing the rent for stand and plate fees.

On Thursday, Unifor announced its members at Blue Line Taxi had voted to ratify a new collective agreement which it says will improve protection for drivers and offer “greater stability in stand fees.”

“Blue Line Taxi drivers stood shoulder to shoulder throughout this strike,” Lana Payne, Unifor national president, said in a statement.

“Their unity and determination on the picket line sent a powerful message to their employer.”

Unifor says Blue Line Taxi was demanding a 20 per cent increase in taxi stand fees, which is the amount drivers must pay the company to pick up fares.

Coventry Connections, owner of Blue Line Taxi, told CTV News in September that their proposals were “not unreasonable” and that they hadn’t raised dispatching fees in over ten years.

According to Unifor, “the union successfully fought off significant increases to stand rates.”

“Taxi drivers have shown incredible unity and resilience throughout this strike,” said Bahdon Issa, President of Unifor Local 1688 in Ottawa.

“Our members took a stand not just for themselves, but for fairness across the taxi industry in Ottawa. This new agreement brings greater stability and respect to drivers who provide an essential service to our city every day.”

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