by Ben Adlin
App-based gig workers in Seattle would earn at least minimum wage plus expenses under a proposal expected to be officially introduced in the City Council next month.
The legislation, still in draft form, would put Seattle at the national forefront of protecting app-based workers who deliver groceries and packages, walk dogs, pick up restaurant orders, and perform various other tasks. It would also regulate the companies that contract their labor, such as Amazon, Instacart, DoorDash, Handy, UberEats, Shipt, and others.
While such services were growing in popularity before the pandemic, early stay-at-home directives and lasting social distancing have led to an even sharper spike in demand. Food delivery apps, for example, reportedly saw business more than double during the early months of the pandemic.
But workers who took those jobs — disproportionately People of Color as well as women, who’ve cited the flexibility and relative safety of delivery jobs compared to rideshare apps — say they’re often left making just a few dollars per hour after factoring in expenses.
“The drivers are taking up all the expenses, and the gig companies are taking up all the profits,” Carmen Figueroa told the Emerald in a recent interview. “They’ve made millions off my labor, off of people like me, and it’s time to give back a little bit.”
Figueroa, who is limited in the type of work she can do as the result of a back injury, said gig work is one of the only jobs that can provide...
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