Good morning and thank you to the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection for the opportunity to testify today. I am New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, the proud City Council sponsor of both Local Law 115 of 2021 which established the minimum per-trip payment requirement for third-party food delivery and courier service workers, and also the sponsor of the earlier Local Law 150 of 2018 which established similar minimum pay requirements for for-hire drivers. Thank you for the work to promulgate these rules, for taking the plight of deliveristas seriously, and for your openness to testimony about changes to the draft rules that are needed to make sure they achieve the goals of the legislation and the worker-led campaign that led to it.
App-based delivery workers risked their lives through the pandemic to provide food to New Yorkers, enabling many of us to remain in our homes. They continue to provide food and other goods to so many of us on a regular basis, amidst extreme weather (like the rain of the past two days, and much worse) and health and safety risks on the streets which are functionally their workplace – all at subminimum wages and without benefits. Out of that experience, they organized a moving and powerful campaign that captured the attention of New Yorkers, demanding justice and fair treatment, which led to a package of bills including LL 115.
As a result, New York City now has an opportunity to lead the nation by establishing a minimum wage standard...
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