NYC Council Passes Sweeping Protections for App-Based Food-Delivery Workers

New York City officials have passed a sweeping bill package that aims to improve working conditions for app-based food couriers.

The New York Times reports the landmark legislation officially passed Thursday, just several weeks after an NYC delivery worker was filmed riding his bike through flooded streets during Hurricane Ida. The viral footage was met with outrage across the country, and ignited calls for increased protections for those who are contracted by food delivery apps, such as Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub. 

Toño Solís, a member of the delivery worker labor group Los Deliveristas Unidos, told The City he was among the couriers who worked during Hurricane Ida. He claimed he had worked more than nine hours during the downpour and had received only $5 on an hour-long delivery. Solis told the outlet he earned an average of $12 per hour, plus tips, on that work day. (New York’s current minimum wage is $15 an hour.)

“It’s a cruel joke,” Solís said about his pay. “This is exactly why we protest and we organize — we need fair wages. These companies are getting richer and richer and we’re only earning $5 in these conditions.”

Los Deliveristas Unidos are widely credited for helping push the new measures, which include setting a minimum pay for each delivery trip (independent of full tips), permitting couriers to set maximum trip distances, forcing restaurants to allow contractors to use their restrooms, and requiring apps to pay the delivery workers at least once a week. The package also prohibits apps from charging couriers fees for payments.

“These workers sacrificed their own safety during the pandemic to bring food to our homes, yet in some cases they were denied bathroom access at restaurants and charged fees by third-party apps,” City Council speaker Corey Johnson said in a statement. “I’m proud of New York City and this Council for standing up for these workers, and I urge other major cities to protect this industry.”

Companies that fail to comply with the measures will face fines and could have their licenses to operate in NYC suspended.

“These bills are common-sense steps to support the delivery workers who work hard every day for New York’s restaurants and residents,” Gruhub spokesman Grant Klinzman said in a statement. “Ensuring they receive a living wage and have access to restrooms isn’t just a good idea, it’s the right thing to do.”

Although some U.S. cities and counties have implemented hazard pay for delivery workers, the Times reports the NYC legislation appears to the first of its kind in the country.