Mayor Adams: NYC's app-based food delivery workers to receive pay raises

This is a first of its kind pay raise for the more than 60,000 delivery workers who currently are making just over $7 an hour.

News 12 Staff

Jun 11, 2023, 10:57 PM

Updated 531 days ago

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Mayor Eric Adams announced Sunday that app-based food delivery workers in New York City will receive pay raises.
This is a first of its kind pay raise for the more than 60,000 delivery workers who currently are making just over $7 an hour.
Adams said that their pay will go up to a minimum of $19.96 per hour by 2025. The Workers Justice Project called it a victory for delivery workers
In 2020, the Workers Justice Project organized the Los Deliveristas Unidos to fight for fair wages for delivery workers. Under the new pay structure, these workers will now receive $17.96 starting in July that will eventually increase by $2 come 2025.
These workers use apps like Uber Eats, DoorDash and GrubHub to deliver food to thousands of New Yorkers daily.
The Workers Justice Project say they risk their life to get food from restaurants to dinner tables. They worked through the COVID-19 pandemic, rain and snowstorms, and most recently, the hazardous air quality conditions caused by the Canadian wildfires.
They also are required to front costs for their cars, e-bikes and scooters to do their job, as well as pay for health insurance and cellphone services.
"We'll guarantee these workers their families can earn a living. They should not be delivering food to your household if they can't put food in their plate in their households," Adams said.
"First of its kind minimum pay rate will uplift working and immigrant families, ensure that workers who keep New Yorkers fed are able to keep also their families fed too," said Ligia Guallpa, of the Workers Justice Project.
The pay increase is part of a new bill just passed by the City Council. Comptroller Brad Lander said while he supports a pay increase, he said delivery workers should be earning three times the minimum wage in order to live sustainably.