Hustled Toronto Star, the Atkinson Foundation, & Antica Productions

A group of scrappy food couriers has just won a major legal battle against a multinational app company. It’s part of an ambitious effort to challenge the gig economy, and become one of the first groups of app workers on the continent to join a union. In this episode, we go back to the start of the campaign and meet the characters behind it. 

Sara gets a job as a foodora courier to find out what life is like when your boss is an app. On the job she uncovers some unexpected challenges and risks. In this episode, we meet several - much more experienced - couriers who explain the many reasons why they need more protection on the road.

Technology is at the heart of the battle between foodora and its workforce. The app company says it’s simply a platform that connects customers with couriers - not an employer. In this episode, we explore the tension that lies just beneath the seductive veneer of convenience and efficiency created by apps.

As COVID-19 grips the city, foodora couriers find themselves working in even riskier conditions. While they receive praise from the public that's gained new appreciation for the food delivered to their doors, their lack of job protections stand in stark contrast to their essential designation.

An abrupt announcement from Foodora amid a global pandemic rattles couriers and raises questions about the company’s past. When a new player enters the scene, couriers wonder about the future of their jobs - and what they've fought for.

With a win under their belt, Foodora couriers in Toronto want to create a gold standard for gig work. In this final episode, we take a trip to California, the birthplace of the gig economy, to explore what the future could look like closer to home.