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Council Member Sandy Nurse presents Intro 1135 on fair wages for grocery delivery workers
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Council Member Sandy Nurse presents Intro 1135, a bill designed to ensure fair wages for grocery delivery workers, aiming to achieve parity with other delivery workers. She argues for the necessity of this legislation given the evolving consumer habits and the urgent need to protect workers in emerging economic sectors.
- The bill seeks to address the issue of corporate welfare, where companies profit by exploiting their workforce while the public bears the cost.
- Nurse highlights the 45% surge in revenue for grocery delivery services over the past year, arguing that workers driving this growth should be adequately compensated.
- She emphasizes the similarity in working conditions between grocery and food delivery workers, advocating for equal protections and wage standards.
Sandy Nurse
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Thank you, chair.
0:04:07
Good afternoon, everyone.
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I'm proud to, present intro 1135, which is a straightforward yet critical bill to ensure designed to ensure grocery bill grocery delivery workers receive a fair wage for their labor and achieve parity with other delivery workers operating under remarkably similar conditions.
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In my view, all delivery workers, whether whether they drive cars, ride ebikes, operate trucks, whether they work directly for a company or through third party platforms, deserve a standard wage that accounts for their cost as independent contractors and the lack of benefits they face.
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And just as a quick reminder, when workers lack health benefits or earn too little to afford health insurance, it is the taxpayer who shoulders the burden.
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And this is corporate welfare in action, a system where companies profit by exploiting their workforce while the public picks up the tab and such a model is truly unacceptable and unsustainable.
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As consumer habits evolve driven by rapid advancements in in technology, it is imperative that our laws keep pace to protect workers in emerging economic sectors.
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What we can all agree on in this room is that the cost of living for low wage workers in New York City has reached an untenable level.
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This legislation provides immediate relief for grocery delivery workers, and I look forward to hearing testimony from the apps later today that focuses on this urgent need.
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The numbers tell a very clear story.
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Over the past year, revenue for 1st and third party grocery delivery services has surged by 45%.
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The number of delivery workers has grown as well, particularly since Instacart expanded its platform in 202022 in 2022 to include individuals using ebikes and mopeds.
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If revenue is increasing, it is only fair that the workers driving this growth are adequately compensated.
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Some have argued that grocery delivery workers should not receive the same protections as those delivering food from restaurants.
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However, the working conditions for these groups are strikingly similar.
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Both groups operate with minimal protections often in challenging circumstances, and this bill seeks to close the gap and establish equity by guaranteeing wage standards and support that upholds workers' dignity.
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Looking forward to conversation today.
0:06:27
Thank you, chair.