SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
A dramatic fight seems to be brewing in New York City over a basic question - what should the minimum pay be for workers who deliver food for apps, including Uber Eats and DoorDash? Deciding on that turns out to be far from easy, as NPR's Dara Kerr reports.
DARA KERR, BYLINE: Around a hundred people raised their hands to speak in a public hearing that spanned more than four hours on Friday. The majority of them were delivery workers who've organized under a group called Los Deliveristas Unidos, the United Delivery Workers. William Medina spoke about the harsh conditions they face trying to get people food.
WILLIAM MEDINA: (Speaking Spanish).
KERR: He said he feels exposed and vulnerable on the street, risking his life either in traffic accidents or being robbed. This is why, he said, he joined the struggle for a just wage. These workers earn an average of $11 an hour, and that's including tips. It's far less than the city's minimum wage. So in 2021, the city passed a law that would give these workers a minimum pay. It estimated that it should be nearly $24 an hour to factor in for things like gas and waiting for food. Anthony Capote, an analyst for the Immigration Research Initiative, believes that pay would be fair for the workers. He says the way companies pay the workers now, which is just for each delivery, is predatory.
ANTHONY CAPOTE: But it also encourages workers to go out under the most dangerous circumstances - during snowstorms, flash floods,...
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