All articles tagged with #delivery workers
Gothamist's Early Addition digest highlights a brewing clash between NYC Mayor Mamdani and Amazon over delivery workers, along with other city updates such as NYC Ferry workers voting to join the Transport Workers Union and new cooling-tower regulations aimed at preventing Legionnaires’ disease, plus various local headlines.
Thousands of ride-hailing and delivery workers in the U.S. and the U.K. went on strike on Valentine’s Day, demanding higher pay and improved working conditions. The strike affected cities in both countries, with drivers calling for increased minimum pay and collective bargaining rights. While companies like Uber and Lyft claim that the majority of drivers are satisfied, workers argue that they are not being fairly compensated for their work and are seeking better wages, access to healthcare, and an appeals process for deactivations.
Uber, DoorDash, and Grubhub have lost their bid to block New York City's new minimum wage rules for delivery workers. The ruling allows the law to go into effect, requiring gig companies to pay a minimum wage of $17.96 per hour, rising to $20 per hour by 2025. Delivery worker advocates celebrated the decision, while the companies expressed disappointment and stated they are evaluating their legal options. The new rules could potentially lead to reduced service areas and increased costs for customers. The lawsuit against the law will still proceed through the courts.
A New York judge has upheld the implementation of a minimum pay rate of $18 per hour for food delivery workers in New York City, dealing a blow to companies like Uber, DoorDash, and Grubhub. The delivery apps had sued the city in an attempt to block the standard, but the judge ruled against them. The minimum pay rate will increase to $19.96 per hour by 2024. Delivery workers, who are considered independent contractors, currently lack employee protections such as minimum wage guarantees and paid sick leave. The companies argued that the higher wage mandate would harm consumers and force them to track time spent on the apps without making deliveries.
Uber, DoorDash, and Grubhub have lost their bid to block New York City's minimum wage law for app-based delivery workers. The law, which requires companies to pay delivery workers $17.96 an hour, will now take effect pending the outcome of the companies' lawsuit. The companies argue that the law will force them to shrink service areas and increase costs for customers and restaurants. However, the judge rejected their claims and praised the decision, stating that delivery workers deserve fair pay. This is the first law of its kind in the United States.
The New York City Council is set to create a trade-in program for electric bikes and lithium-ion batteries in an effort to prevent deadly fires. The program, expected to be approved on Thursday, would provide certified e-bikes and batteries for free or at a low cost. This initiative follows a series of lithium-ion battery fires that have resulted in 14 deaths and over 100 injuries in the city this year. The trade-in program aims to address the issue of uncertified e-bikes and batteries already owned by consumers. Additionally, a separate trade-in program for delivery workers, funded by donations from companies like Uber and DoorDash, has been slow due to high costs. The program will require approval from Mayor Eric Adams.
A Manhattan judge has temporarily halted the implementation of a minimum wage law for delivery workers in New York City, following a lawsuit filed by DoorDash, Grubhub, Uber, and Relay. The law would require these app-based delivery companies to pay their workers $17.96 per hour, significantly higher than the current estimated rate of $11 per hour. The companies argue that the law would increase costs for consumers and potentially drive away business, while also claiming bias in the rulemaking process. The implementation of the new pay rate is now uncertain.
DoorDash will offer its delivery workers the option to be paid a guaranteed hourly minimum rate instead of per delivery, in response to a New York City mandate requiring a minimum wage of $18 per hour. However, the hourly rate is based on the time spent on a delivery, including tips, and it's not clear how much DoorDash will offer. Some gig workers are skeptical, calling it a watered-down version of Prop 22 and accusing DoorDash of using hourly pay to incentivize workers to accept less desirable orders. DoorDash also introduced new features to help Dashers maximize earnings, such as selecting preferred locations and post-checkout tipping.
GrubHub and JOCO have partnered to open a new rest stop in SoHo for delivery workers to rest and charge their e-bikes. The rest stop includes restrooms, phone charging stations, hot and cold water fountains, and lounge chairs. The aim is to improve working conditions for delivery workers, who often struggle to find safe places to recharge their batteries and use clean bathrooms. The rest stop also features four new fireproof machines that both hold and charge batteries for delivery drivers to switch out.
New York City has announced a new law setting the minimum wage for delivery workers at $17.96 per hour, which could impact how apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub work with delivery drivers. Representatives from delivery apps are raising concerns, saying the new pay structure would adversely affect delivery workers in New York City by increasing their workload, limiting their flexibility, and reducing the overall food delivery workforce. The new pay structure could also impact diners, potentially eliminating tipping or increasing the cost of orders.
New York City's app-based delivery workers must be paid at least $17.96 an hour, not including tips, starting July 12, making it the first such minimum pay-rate in the country for an industry that exploded in popularity during the pandemic. The new law, first proposed in 2021, will eventually raise the workers’ minimum wage to at least $19.96 an hour in 2025, or more, based on inflation. However, critics say the rule does not go far enough to compensate the workers, who must absorb a range of expenses as independent contractors, including frequent injuries on the job.
Despite the dangerous air quality in New York City due to smoke from wildfires in Canada, many delivery workers continued to work as independent contractors without protective equipment or minimum wage requirements. Workers cited financial necessity and reliance on tips as reasons for continuing to work, despite health risks. The majority of app-based delivery workers in the city are immigrants from South and East Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Advocates are calling for better working conditions and protections for these workers.
A Florida prosecutor has ordered an investigation into a shooting incident where a homeowner fired shots into a couple's car when they mistakenly turned onto his property while making a late-night grocery delivery. The police closed the case without consulting the state attorney's office. No one was injured, but it is the latest in a spate of similar shootings across the U.S. where people have mistakenly turned onto the wrong property or gotten in the wrong car. Broward County State Attorney Harold Pryor issued a statement saying police investigators never contacted his office about the April 15 shooting in Southwest Ranches.
New York City has enacted new e-bike safety legislation to prevent fires caused by faulty batteries. The legislation requires micro-mobility devices to meet standards set by UL solutions, bans the resale of bikes or batteries, changes New York City Fire Department reporting standards, and restricts the reconditioning of used batteries. However, it remains unclear how these new laws will retroactively prevent fires from the 65,000 e-bikes purchased before this law took effect in New York. Delivery workers have expressed concerns about the cost of transitioning to safer batteries and the lack of a plan to cover the financial cost.