Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced, in advance of legal workplace protections that go into effect in 2022, that he has marshalled agencies together to implement a series of additional efforts to support and improve the health, safety and working conditions for the city’s 65,000+ delivery workers.
“Delivery workers have served as essential workers throughout the pandemic and we’re grateful for their contributions to New York City’s economy,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “These increased safety measures and labor protections are key to helping delivery workers recover and thrive.”
"It is not an exaggeration to say that delivery workers kept our City running throughout the pandemic. At great personal risk, they have delivered goods to homebound New Yorkers and have kept our small businesses afloat," said J. Phillip Thompson, Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives. "I applaud the organizing effort of advocacy organizations who have helped secure basic workplace protections for delivery workers, and hope that these measures taken by the City can continue to uplift and support these essential workers."
“In 2022, we will regulate for the first time the growing number of delivery app companies and enforce brand-new labor standards for delivery workers, including minimum pay standards and the right to control their routes,” said Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Commissioner Peter A. Hatch. “And today we are proud to help deliver new City resources that address immediate concerns of delivery workers who have done so much to fuel New York through the pandemic.”
“As they have shown by supporting residents and restaurants across the boroughs time and again, delivery workers are a crucial pillar of New York City,” said Lorraine Grillo, the City’s Senior Advisor for Recovery. “These measures to advance their workplace safety, and initiatives to recognize their importance to our city, are a critical step in protecting these essential workers and in creating a fair and equitable recovery for all New Yorkers.”
“While some New Yorkers utilize delivery workers for convenience, many others rely on them as the key to survival during the ongoing pandemic. Their work is hard and their days are long, but they have also been preyed upon by criminals. Delivery workers have been targeted for money and e-bikes. The NYPD is in touch with the associations that represent them and officers have enhanced their focus by adding cameras on key routes and serial numbers to help identify stolen bikes. We underline that the NYPD does not share with immigration authorities any information about victims or witnesses. The NYPD remains committed to doing all it can to protect these essential workers,” said Police Commissioner Dermot Shea.
“Since the onset of the pandemic, delivery workers were on the frontlines of this crisis, showing us that they have and will continue to be essential to our city,” said Raquel Batista, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. “These actions are a significant win to ensure the safety and livelihood of this community. MOIA looks forward to working with our sister agencies to ensure deliveristas know their rights.”
“Whether it is on the job safety or access to healthcare, delivery workers deserve to be treated with respect and as a city, we must deliver for them on these basic rights,” said Jonnel Doris, NYC Department of Small Business Services Commissioner. At SBS we are committed to advocating for New Yorkers working hard to make a living. So, we welcome the new protections and look forward to seeing them implemented in the coming months.”
“During the pandemic, New Yorkers came to see our delivery workers for what they truly are: essential employees,” said DOT Commissioner Hank Gutman. “We thank our colleagues at NYPD and DCWP for their excellent coordinated work to keep these workers safe, including brighter bridge crossings and more assistance for workers victimized by crime. At DOT, we will continue our dedicated efforts to get these workers the best delivery cyclist education as well as have them fitted with helmets and other safety equipment crucial to the job.”
“Delivery workers are the backbone of our service industry, and the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affects their health and livelihood,” said NYC Care Senior Director Jonathan Jimenez, MD. “NYC Care and NYC Health + Hospitals is proud to serve them and excited to make sure all delivery workers, regardless of income or immigration status, know they have a right to high-quality healthcare at NYC Health + Hospitals.”
#EssentialToNYC Campaign
This month, the City is launching a digital art campaign, #EssentialToNYC, reaffirming support for delivery workers and other essential workers, including bodega and grocery store workers, home care workers, nail salon technicians and all aestheticians, and taxi workers and all workers who transport New Yorkers. Featuring real New Yorkers of these professions, the campaign will highlight the importance of these workers in keeping the City running, connect New Yorkers to resources, and encourage New Yorkers to stand in solidarity against acts of discrimination, harassment, and violence that many essential workers continue to face. For more information, graphics and resources, visit here.
Safety
In response to many issues brought forward by directly impacted workers, the City is providing:
· additional lighting and NYPD cameras at Willis Avenue Bridge bike paths;
· additional safety resources at bridge crossings into Manhattan;
· a bike etching program to recover stolen e-bikes;
· expansion of DOT’s traffic safety education and helmet giveaways for delivery workers
Healthcare Access
NYC Care has launched a new initiative to actively working to enroll delivery workers who are un/underinsured. To enroll in NYC Care, New Yorkers can call 1-646-NYC-Care. For more information, visit www.nyccare.nyc.
Worker Protection
The City has provided DCWP with funding to implement and enforce the new laws regulating delivery apps and worker protections that go into effect in 2022. Starting January 24, many food delivery apps must be licensed by DCWP, bringing needed oversight to the industry. Apps will be able to begin applying for licenses later this month. Starting January 24, licensed apps must tell workers the tip for each delivery and the total pay and tips for the previous day.The law also seeks to provide increased access to bathrooms for workers of licensed apps.
Delivery workers who deliver food for any app—not just licensed apps—will also have additional new rights April 22, 2022 and January 1, 2023.
Starting April 22, 2022, apps must:
· Give workers a required notice explaining their new rights.
· Give workers more control over their deliveries. Workers can limit how far they will go from restaurants and refuse to use bridges or tunnels.
· Tell workers trip details before they accept a delivery. Must include address for pickup, estimated time and distance for trip, tip if known, pay.
· Pay workers at least once a week. Apps cannot charge a fee to process payment.
· Give workers a free insulated food delivery bag after give deliveries.
Starting January 1, 2023, apps must pay workers the new minimum pay rate that the City will set. The rate will not include tips. DCWP is meeting with relevant stakeholders, including workers, for the wage structure study it will be conducting to determine the new minimum rate.
Delivery workers, apps, restaurants and consumer can monitor nyc.gov/DeliveryApps in the coming weeks and months for multilingual information about these regulations. DCWP was also recently funded to mount a public awareness campaign for workers in spring 2022.
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