Amazon Spends Big Against NYC Bill Protecting Delivery Workers

A New York City Council bill called the Delivery Protection Act (DPA) would require delivery companies to directly employ drivers and warehouse workers, setting licensing, safety, and training requirements for last-mile facilities. The legislation, introduced by City Council Member Tiffany Cabán, aims to protect delivery workers from exploitation.

Amazon has spent over $5 million trying to defeat the bill, making five payments totaling $5,001,377 between February and mid-May to the Five Borough Jobs Campaign, a business lobbying coalition affiliated with the Real Estate Board of New York. The company claims that direct employment would raise delivery costs and put contractors out of business.

However, critics argue that Amazon's current arrangement allows it to disclaim responsibility for wages, injuries, and other basic conditions of employment. Deputy Mayor Julie Su called the company's model 'a business built on getting all the benefits of labor while disclaiming any responsibility for it.'

Amazon delivery driver Latrice Johnson testified before the New York City Council about her experiences working for a contractor that was later terminated by Amazon in retaliation for organizing with the Teamsters union. The bill has over thirty cosponsors, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani endorsed it three days prior to the testimony.