Delivery Workers Cheer Restroom Access and Tip Transparency Alongside AOC and Chuck Schumer
Gabriel Lopez, who has been making a living as a food delivery worker for over 18 months, braved the elements in Midtown, Jan. 21, 2022. Hiram Alejandro Durán/ THE CITY
Starting Sept. 24, New York City’s app-based food delivery workers are entitled to increased clarity on their daily earnings and tips, and the right to use most restaurant bathrooms, as new laws begin their rollout.
The Deliveristas celebrated the new protections Sunday afternoon with a rally in Times Square, flanked by allies including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-The Bronx/Queens) and Sen. Chuck Schumer, who has advocated for federal funds to create rest stops for the workers and other supports.
Also joining were city Comptroller Brad Lander and Councilmembers Carlina Rivera (D-Manhattan) and Justin Brannan (D-Brooklyn), among the lawmakers who introduced the Council bills.
The rally drew dozens of Deliveristas, many of whom hail from Indigenous communities from Mexico and Guatemala. Workers from Bangladesh and Mali also participated.
“We’re going to see big, big changes with these laws,” upper Manhattan delivery worker Manny Ramírez, 34, told THE CITY on Friday. “The discrepancy between what the client thinks we get paid and what the apps actually pay was immense — but now there is more awareness, and we felt like we’d won with that alone.”
“We feel like winners,” said Ernesta Galvez, 40, who works for the Relay app and is one of the few women among the Deliveristas. “It’s emotional to think about how far we’ve come.”
Ocasio-Cortez said in a phone interview on Sunday that the local gains for delivery workers send important signals nationally.
“What we’re seeing with the Deliveristas and the working class in New York, particularly tech workers, is such a strong counterpoint to what we’ve seen in California,” she said, noting that state’s ban on gig workers being recognized as full time employees.
Does any of this legislation state that these workers adhere to all laws of the road? That they operate their vehicles lawfully and/or carry any kind of insurance?
No why would I be? You must be new in town. But a vast majority of these delivery workers ride on sidewalks, go through red lights, and are a nuisance. As people have forgotten how to use the stoves in their homes they rely on these people who are so desperate for a few bucks they will put themselves in harm’s way. They deserve these rights but I and my fellow pedestrians don’t need to become collateral damage in their quest to get someone their food. It’s a simple ask. But you must be triggered by critical thinking
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A Manhattan man was arrested on Saturday and charged in the fatal stabbing of an East Elmhurst man during the early morning hours of New Year’s Day in what notably became the city’s first homicide of 2024.
Torrence Holmes, 35, of St. Nicholas Place in Hamilton Heights, was taken into custody at his home and transported back to Queens, where he was booked at the 110th Precinct in Elmhurst on manslaughter and other charges on Saturday afternoon.
Assembly Member Stacey Pheffer Amato, who represents southeast Queens, has taken a significant legislative step to address safety concerns associated with lithium-ion batteries in New York state.
Following a tragic week on Queens streets where three pedestrians — 43-year-old Natalia Garcia-Valencia, 58-year-old Elisa Bellere and 8-year-old Bayrron Palomino Arroyo — were fatally struck by unsafe drivers, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards announced that he has allocated $1.5 million in capital funding for street safety improvements on three of the borough’s most dangerous roadways.
Richards made the announcement at 82nd Street and Astoria Boulevard in East Elmhurst on Monday morning, about a mile from where the 8-year-old boy was struck and killed by an impatient pickup truck driver from Flushing on Mar. 13 as he walked in the crosswalk at 31st Avenue and 101st Street with him mother and brother, who was injured.
Does any of this legislation state that these workers adhere to all laws of the road? That they operate their vehicles lawfully and/or carry any kind of insurance?
You’re kidding, right?
No why would I be? You must be new in town. But a vast majority of these delivery workers ride on sidewalks, go through red lights, and are a nuisance. As people have forgotten how to use the stoves in their homes they rely on these people who are so desperate for a few bucks they will put themselves in harm’s way. They deserve these rights but I and my fellow pedestrians don’t need to become collateral damage in their quest to get someone their food. It’s a simple ask. But you must be triggered by critical thinking
What is wrong with asking people to obey the laws??? You feel woke???