Item - 2024.EX19.3

Tracking Status

  • City Council adopted this item on December 17 and 18, 2024 with amendments.
  • This item was considered by Executive Committee on December 10, 2024 and was adopted with amendments. It will be considered by City Council on December 17 and 18, 2024.

EX19.3 - Analysis of Driver Wages in the Vehicle-for-Hire Industry

Decision Type:
ACTION
Status:
Amended
Wards:
All

City Council Decision

City Council on December 17 and 18, 2024, adopted the following:

 

1. City Council request the City Manager to initiate a communications and intergovernmental campaign focusing on raising the floor for gig workers, including Vehicle-for-Hire drivers, ensuring they are able to make a living wage.

 

2. City Council request the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to report to the Executive Committee in the first quarter of 2025 on by-law amendments required to conduct a data driven study of taxi driver wages, including the supports required to improve provision of accessible service in the vehicle-for-hire industry.

 

3. City Council direct that Confidential Attachment 1 to the supplementary report (November 26, 2024) from the City Solicitor remain confidential in its entirety, as it contains advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege.

 

Confidential Attachment 1 to the supplementary report (November 26, 2024) from the City Solicitor remains confidential in its entirety in accordance with the provisions of the City of Toronto Act, 2006, as it contains advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege.

Confidential Attachment - Advice or communications that are subject to solicitor-client privilege.

Background Information (Committee)

(November 26, 2024) Report from the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards on Analysis of Driver Wages in the Vehicle-for-Hire Industry
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-251342.pdf
Attachment 1 - Analysis of Driver Earnings in Toronto's Vehicle-for-Hire Industry
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-251343.pdf
Attachment 2 - Vehicle-for-Hire Public and Stakeholder Consultation Summary
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-251344.pdf

Communications (Committee)

(December 9, 2024) Letter from Jake Brockman (EX.Supp)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/ex/comm/communicationfile-185387.pdf
(December 9, 2024) E-mail from Javaid Yusuf (EX.Supp)
(December 10, 2024) Letter from Sajid Mughal, Former Chair, Taxicab Advisory Committee (EX.New)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/ex/comm/communicationfile-185427.pdf
(December 9, 2024) Letter from George Wedge, President, Rideshare Drivers Association of Ontario (EX.New)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/ex/comm/communicationfile-185411.pdf

Communications (City Council)

(December 11, 2024) E-mail from M. Ejaz Butt, President, Toronto Licensed Drivers Association (CC.Supp)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/cc/comm/communicationfile-185543.pdf

Motions (City Council)

1 - Motion to Amend Item (Additional) moved by Councillor Jon Burnside (Carried)

That:

 

1. City Council request the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to report to the Executive Committee in the first quarter of 2025 on by-law amendments required to conduct a data driven study of taxi driver wages, including the supports required to improve provision of accessible service in the vehicle-for-hire industry. 

Vote (Amend Item (Additional)) Dec-18-2024 11:33 AM

Result: Carried Majority Required - EX19.3 - Burnside - motion 1
Total members that voted Yes: 21 Members that voted Yes are Paul Ainslie, Alejandra Bravo, Jon Burnside, Lily Cheng, Rachel Chernos Lin, Olivia Chow, Mike Colle, Vincent Crisanti, Paula Fletcher, Ausma Malik, Josh Matlow, Jennifer McKelvie, Chris Moise, Amber Morley, Jamaal Myers, Frances Nunziata (Chair), James Pasternak, Gord Perks, Anthony Perruzza, Dianne Saxe, Michael Thompson
Total members that voted No: 2 Members that voted No are Brad Bradford, Stephen Holyday
Total members that were Absent: 3 Members that were absent are Shelley Carroll, Parthi Kandavel, Nick Mantas (Interest Declared)

Motion to Adopt Item as Amended (Carried)

Vote (Adopt Item as Amended) Dec-18-2024 11:35 AM

Result: Carried Majority Required - EX19.3 - Adopt the item as amended
Total members that voted Yes: 21 Members that voted Yes are Paul Ainslie, Alejandra Bravo, Jon Burnside, Lily Cheng, Rachel Chernos Lin, Olivia Chow, Mike Colle, Vincent Crisanti, Paula Fletcher, Ausma Malik, Josh Matlow, Jennifer McKelvie, Chris Moise, Amber Morley, Jamaal Myers, Frances Nunziata (Chair), James Pasternak, Gord Perks, Anthony Perruzza, Dianne Saxe, Michael Thompson
Total members that voted No: 2 Members that voted No are Brad Bradford, Stephen Holyday
Total members that were Absent: 3 Members that were absent are Shelley Carroll, Parthi Kandavel, Nick Mantas (Interest Declared)

Point of Order by Councillor Gord Perks

During Councillor Bradford’s questioning of the Mayor, Councillor Perks, rising on a Point of Order, stated that the Speaker has called the Member of Council to order twice on the same issue, and that this is time to ask questions of the Mayor on this item and the remarks she made on this item. Councillor Perks further stated that the Member continues to ignore the Speaker and that he would ask the Speaker to once again call the Member to order.


Point of Order by Councillor Alejandra Bravo

Councillor Bravo, rising on a Point of Order, stated that the questions belong in the media scrum the Member will do after.

Ruling by Speaker Frances Nunziata
Speaker Nunziata accepted the Points of Order and ruled that Councillor Bradford is to ask questions of the Mayor on the item that is before Council.


Point of Privilege by Councillor Paula Fletcher

Councillor Fletcher, rising on a Point of Privilege, stated that Councillor Bradford continues to talk about the Mayor as “She, She, She, She”, and that’s not on in the Chamber and that she would like the Speaker to keep the standards very high.

Ruling by Speaker Frances Nunziata
Speaker Nunziata accepted the Point of Privilege and thanked Councillor Fletcher.

Declared Interests (City Council)

The following member(s) declared an interest:

Councillor Nick Mantas - as his family owns a taxi plate.
Written Declaration: https://secure.toronto.ca/council/declared-interest-file.do?id=12239

3a - Supplementary Report on the Analysis of Drivers Wages in the Vehicle-for-Hire Industry

Confidential Attachment - Advice or communications that are subject to solicitor-client privilege.
Background Information (Committee)
(November 26, 2024) Supplementary report from the City Solicitor on the Analysis of Drivers Wages in the Vehicle-for-Hire Industry
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-251310.pdf
Confidential Attachment 1 - Confidential Information

EX19.3 - Analysis of Driver Wages in the Vehicle-for-Hire Industry

Decision Type:
ACTION
Status:
Amended
Wards:
All

Committee Recommendations

The Executive Committee recommends that:   

 

1. City Council request the City Manager to initiate a communications and intergovernmental campaign focusing on raising the floor for gig workers, including Vehicle-for-Hire drivers, ensuring they are able to make a living wage.

 

2. City Council direct that Confidential Attachment 1 to the supplementary report (November 26, 2024) from the City Solicitor remain confidential in its entirety, as it contains advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege.

Origin

(November 26, 2024) Report from the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards

Summary

On February 29th, 2024, Executive Committee adopted EX12.1 - Vehicle-for-Hire and Private Transportation Industries Update Request, requesting staff to analyze driver wages in the vehicle-for-hire industry, which includes taxicabs, limousines and private transportation companies.

 

A team of researchers specializing in research and analysis of the vehicle-for-hire industry in Toronto and internationally, consisting of Dr. Mischa Young from the Université de l’Ontario Français and Dr. Steven Farber and Dr. Mashrur Rahman from the University of Toronto, were retained to complete an assessment of the vehicle-for-hire industry to inform Council about the current state of driver wages. This academic study is supplemented by information about wages and incomes received during public consultations directly from drivers, companies and other stakeholders.

 

The researchers found that the median PTC driver gross earnings was $33.52 per hour in 2023 and $33.18 per hour in 2024 for every engaged hour of work, which includes the time between when a driver accepts a trip request and drops the passenger off. When accounting for all time spent logged onto a platform, including times where there is no passenger, the median driver gross earnings were $25.23 per hour in 2023 and $22.46 per hour in 2024.

 

The researchers also calculated driver expenses, including fuel, insurance, depreciation, maintenance, repairs, financing, fees and taxes and found that after expenses are accounted for, the median driver net earnings were $15.31 per hour in 2023 and $15.34 per hour in 2024 when accounting only for engaged time, and $7.94 per hour in 2023 and $5.97 per hour in 2024 when accounting for all time spent on the platform. Due to a lack of taxicab trip data provided to the City, the researchers were unable to conduct a similar data-driven study of taxicab and limousine driver wages.

 

Wages and employment standards are regulated by the Ontario government through legislation such as the Employment Standards Act and the Digital Platform Workers' Rights Act. This report summarizes this legislation and provides context about their applicability to drivers in the vehicle for hire industry.

Background Information

(November 26, 2024) Report from the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards on Analysis of Driver Wages in the Vehicle-for-Hire Industry
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-251342.pdf
Attachment 1 - Analysis of Driver Earnings in Toronto's Vehicle-for-Hire Industry
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-251343.pdf
Attachment 2 - Vehicle-for-Hire Public and Stakeholder Consultation Summary
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-251344.pdf

Communications

(December 9, 2024) Letter from Jake Brockman (EX.Supp)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/ex/comm/communicationfile-185387.pdf
(December 9, 2024) E-mail from Javaid Yusuf (EX.Supp)
(December 10, 2024) Letter from Sajid Mughal, Former Chair, Taxicab Advisory Committee (EX.New)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/ex/comm/communicationfile-185427.pdf
(December 9, 2024) Letter from George Wedge, President, Rideshare Drivers Association of Ontario (EX.New)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/ex/comm/communicationfile-185411.pdf

Speakers

Sajid Mughal, Former Chair, Taxicab Advisory Committee
Ilya Kreynin
George Wedge, President, Rideshare Drivers Association of Ontario
Ikram Freed
JJ Fueser

Motions

1a - Motion to Amend Item moved by Mayor Olivia Chow (Carried)

That:

 

1.  City Council request the City Manager to initiate a communications and intergovernmental campaign focusing on raising the floor for gig workers, including Vehicle-for-Hire drivers, ensuring they are able to make a living wage.


1b - Motion to Amend Item moved by Mayor Olivia Chow (Carried)

That the Executive Committee adopt the following recommendation in the supplementary report (November 26, 2024) from the City Solicitor:

 

1. City Council direct that the confidential information contained in Confidential Attachment 1 remain confidential in its entirety, as it contains advice which is subject to solicitor-client privilege.

3a - Supplementary Report on the Analysis of Drivers Wages in the Vehicle-for-Hire Industry

Confidential Attachment - Advice or communications that are subject to solicitor-client privilege.
Origin
(November 26, 2024) Report from the City Solicitor
Summary

This report is supplementary to the report from the Executive Director of Municipal Licensing and Standards entitled "Analysis of Drivers Wages in the Vehicle-for-Hire Industry" dated November 26, 2024 (the "Drivers Wages Report"). This report provides legal advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege.

Background Information
(November 26, 2024) Supplementary report from the City Solicitor on the Analysis of Drivers Wages in the Vehicle-for-Hire Industry
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-251310.pdf
Confidential Attachment 1 - Confidential Information
Source: Toronto City Clerk at www.toronto.ca/council