It’s a new year, but the CTA continues to set its sights on a familiar battle: Ending the non-compliant, driver misclassification scheme known as Driver Inc.
The Canadian Trucking Alliance is reiterating its call for law-abiding, compliant trucking companies and drivers to join the fight against our industry’s underground economy by pressing the federal government and other policymakers to pledge their commitment and enforcement resources towards ending the Driver Inc. scheme.
The CTA campaign aimed at Ottawa policy makers is three-fold and includes a group company letter, a driver petition and an email to MPs explaining the impairing effects of this growing challenge on compliant trucking companies as well as the overall economy.
CTA is calling on carriers across Canada to sign and offer company nameplates by January 29, 2020 to this document that urges federal agencies like CRA and Labour Canada help CTA eradicate the underground economy by focusing enforcement resources on companies and drivers engaged in Driver Inc. For a copy please click here.
CTA is also asking members to engage their drivers in the campaign by asking them to sign a petition insisting that Ottawa addresses Driver Inc. Although much attention has been on the trucking companies’ whose operations are built around Driver Inc. and are benefiting from the underground economy, many commercial truck drivers are also actively seeking out Driver Inc. carriers to work for in order to avoid paying their fair share of taxes meant for vital government services and infrastructure like highways, health care and education. Consequently, the compliant truck drivers in the industry are unfairly bearing the tax obligation alone.
Beyond sending written submissions to Ottawa, CTA is also asking members to engage in an e-mail campaign to MPs in the riding where their businesses are located. The campaign is designed to bring MPs up to speed on this growing problem and the immediate need for Ottawa to enforce the law. CTA has prepared e-mails for members to send to both Liberal and opposition MPs, including a link to a Government of Canada website which identifies the MP representing the riding where their business is located. To participate in this campaign pleaseclick here.
CTA is asking the industry to respond to these written campaigns by January 29, 2020. The Alliance will then send the group carrier letter and driver petition to Ottawa with a clear message: Enforce the law already on the books and finally get rid of the illegal pay scheme that is sapping the trucking industry and siphoning at least $1 billion out of public hands and into the underground economy.
“To date, CTA has been engaged in a constructive process with both CRA and Labour Canada on the legality and enforcement of Driver Inc. The legal issues are clear andnow the outstanding issue is the scale of the enforcement response from the Government of Canada,” said CTA president Stephen Laskowski. “With the new cabinet in place, it’s critical the compliant industry responds to this Call to Action and send a strong message that enforcement of Driver Inc. must be a CRA and ESDC priority to meet the threat of this underground economy scam as well as safeguard public safety and the operations of compliant trucking companies and drivers across Canada.”
For the full communication package in French, click here.
