“They delivered for New York, and now we’re delivering for them.” That’s what Mayor Eric Adams said Thursday in announcing a slate of new protections for essential delivery workers across the Five Boroughs.
The mayor made his remarks while joining delivery workers rallying in City Hall Park on April 21. The all-day affair drew legions of supporters and politicians from all around the five boroughs in order to support delivery workers who have been fighting for greater rights after struggling with hardships amidst the pandemic.
“These are the men and women who made sure your families were able to shelter in place safely,” Mayor Adams said.
Adams announced, with help from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, that starting on April 22, delivery workers who drive for third-party delivery apps will get to choose how far they travel and what routes they take to get to a given destination, as well as discern if they want to accept the order. Not only that, the mayor said that they will also be paid a fair wage.
“They’re going to get fair pay for an honest day of providing for the city. That is so important. These new laws are a testament to the movement that you built,” Adams said. “It’s about providing new labor standards across the industry, new labor standards. We have an app for everything. But we did not keep up how we treated human beings as we improved technology.”
This has been a fight that has taken well over a year and the announcement serves as a big win for those who have strived to make changes from even being allowed to use restrooms at restaurants for whom they haul orders. Starting Friday, workers will also be paid once a week and be provided with a free insulated delivery bag after five deliveries.
Celebrating the victory, several workers set up their bikes in City Hall Park and tinkered with the cycles, fixing them for fellow workers while others rallied on the steps of City Hall itself holding large banners.
