After months of stakeholder meetings, the Seattle City Council is introducing a series of policies establishing app-based labor standards, called the "Pay Up" ordinance.
The legislation is sponsored by Councilmembers Lisa Herbold and Andrew Lewis and is aimed at raising pay and providing basic worker protections.
Many app-based drivers say the current pay rate doesn’t take into account the amount of time it takes to get the job done. Carmen Figueroa, a gig worker with Grubhub, recalls what she earned at a recent gig — a short, two-hour shift.
“Just made $28 and some odd cents,” she said, adding that this is not a living wage.
One of the orders Figueroa completed was from a fast food drive-thru where she sat in the the drive-thru line for 45 minutes.
“It’s not worth my time or effort or gas or patience,” Figueroa said. “I only took that order to maintain my rating; did not want it, did not want to deliver it.”
Under the city’s proposal, workers would receive minimum payment for what it calls “engaged time,” and “engaged miles.” That means when Figueroa accepts an order, the clock starts. Engaged time includes the time it takes to provide the service — from driving to the restaurant, waiting for the order, to delivering the food.
In Seattle, it’s estimated there are 40,000 gig workers like Figueroa. She started gig work four years ago after a back injury. It’s become her main source of income.
“I’m too disabled to work full time, or part time,” Figueroa said. “Gig work is...
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