Mamdani backs bill to protect NYC delivery workers

Mayor Zohran Mamdani has thrown his support behind New York City’s Delivery Worker Protection Act, a bill that would give the city new power to regulate app-based delivery companies like Amazon. The move comes just months after the city saw a surge in complaints about late pay, unsafe working conditions, and sudden deactivations of delivery accounts by gig platforms. Mamdani says the law is needed to protect workers who have little recourse when algorithms cut their access to work without warning.

The push for stronger protections reflects a growing nationwide debate over gig work. Delivery drivers and couriers say they face unpredictable hours, unclear pay structures, and no benefits—all while companies like Amazon and DoorDash rely on their labor to meet surging demand for quick commerce. Earlier this year, New York City’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection released a report showing that nearly 60% of delivery workers earned less than the city’s minimum wage after accounting for expenses. The Delivery Worker Protection Act would require companies to provide transparent pay calculations, set minimum per-trip earnings, and give workers a chance to appeal sudden deactivations.

Amazon, which operates its own delivery network through Amazon Flex, immediately pushed back. In a letter to city officials, the company warned that the new rules could force it to cut hundreds of jobs in New York City and reduce delivery capacity in certain neighborhoods. The company said the law’s requirements would make it harder to operate efficiently in a city where delivery times are often measured in minutes, not hours. The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which represents some delivery workers, called Amazon’s threat “a scare tactic” and urged the city to move forward with the bill.

The City Council is expected to hold hearings on the bill this fall. If passed, New York would join Seattle, Los Angeles, and other cities that have enacted similar protections for gig workers. The outcome could set a precedent for labor policy in cities nationwide as delivery work continues to expand. For Mamdani, a democratic socialist and former tenant organizer, the bill aligns with his broader push to strengthen worker rights in the gig economy. But with Amazon threatening job cuts, the fight over delivery worker protections is shaping up to be a major battle in New York’s 2025 legislative session.