NYC Council passes proposal to increase pay for grocery delivery workers
NEW YORK (WABC) -- The New York City Council passed a series of bills Monday to boost pay that will include nearly 20,000 grocery delivery workers.
The new legislation requires third-party apps to pay workers $21.44 an hour, which matches the increase that food delivery workers received back in April.
"I am happy to help move this city forward and make sure all delivery workers are treated fairly, no matter what app they're on. Right now, grocery and goods delivery workers are left out of the protections food delivery workers already have. This bill closes that gap. It doesn't take anything away-it just says: if you're doing the same work, you deserve the same protections," said New York City Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez.
Previous bills passed in 2021 set a minimum pay and addressed working conditions for app-based food delivery workers for companies like DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub.
Reaction from the delivery apps to this new law varies. DoorDash and Grubhub seem fine with it, with DoorDash calling it, "a pragmatic step towards treating all delivery workers consistently, regardless of what they deliver."
But Instacart reacted strongly against it, saying it will dramatically drive up food delivery costs.
"It is simply unconscionable that the City Council is considering a bill that would jeopardize a lifeline thousands of New Yorkers rely on," an Instacart spokesperson said in a statement.
That's not an argument swaying co-sponsor and City Council Member Sandy Nurse.
"All delivery workers deserve to get paid a decent wage for their work, no matter what they deliver or who they work for. That's why I am proud to pass Intro 1135 to raise the minimum pay rate for tens of thousands of third-party grocery delivery workers," Nurse said. "These workers - many of whom come from immigrant communities - are being paid poverty wages simply because they deliver items, and sometimes even the same item, on a different app. This two-tiered wage system inhibits our goal to make NYC more affordable and livable, and as these sectors grow we refuse to leave these immigrant workers behind."
For Nurse, a former delivery worker herself, this legislation hits home.
"These are multi-million dollar companies making a lot of money by having a lot of workers they don't have any obligations to, but we also have power here," Nurse said. "It is an obligation of local government to study this industry, monitor it and take action, and that's what we're doing."
Other protections that will now be made available includes companies to provide an option in their apps to give at least a 10% tip, before or at the same time an order is placed and that the companies must pay workers within seven days of the end of a pay period.
Advocates say the pay parity for delivery workers, regardless of sector, or the size of the app company they work for, has been a long time coming.
"I fully support this legislation to bring back the option for customers to leave a tip before completing their food order. For thousands of delivery workers like me, tips are not a bonus-they're a vital part of our income. When customers can tip upfront, it gives us motivation and a sense of appreciation for the hard work we do every day-rain or shine, cold or heat. This change isn't just about money-it's about respect," said Antonio Solis, a delivery worker and organizing leader with Los Deliveristas Unidos. "I'm urging lawmakers to support this proposal. It may seem like a small change, but for us, it makes a big difference. It's a concrete step toward recognizing and dignifying the essential work we do."
The food delivery service industry boomed during the COVID-19 pandemic and has only grown since then with over 100 million deliveries from third party apps.
ALSO READ: G train service suspended on select days through Mid-August as MTA works on modernization project
----------
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
