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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by William Medina, Lead Delivery Worker and Organizer from Workers Justice Project
4:47:36
·
169 sec
William Medina, a lead delivery worker and organizer from the Workers Justice Project, testifies about the challenges and fears faced by delivery workers in New York City. He highlights the difficulties of the job, including exploitation by apps, dangerous working conditions, and increasing fear of law enforcement due to their immigrant status.
- Medina emphasizes the constant fear and uncertainty delivery workers experience while doing their job, particularly due to potential discrimination and criminalization.
- He discusses the organizing efforts of delivery workers, including awareness campaigns, safety initiatives, and working with city agencies to create more protections.
- Medina concludes by requesting funding from the City Council to keep their centers open and continue providing case management, education, and support to their communities.
William Medina
4:47:36
Thank you, chair.
4:47:38
My name is William Medina, lead delivery worker, organizer, and member of the Worker Justice Project.
4:47:43
Over the six years I've been doing this job, I have faced different situations where making delivery has been more than just a challenge, including extreme weather, thefts, and ingested by the apps that threat us like machines with which they can multiply their profits.
4:47:59
Today, this work is becoming increasingly difficult, not only because we are constantly under the watch of these apps, but also because there is a fear in the streets due to our status for being rejected simply because of how we look physically or because we are doing work that is mostly performed by immigrants.
4:48:20
This fear is not only mine, but also thousand of my fellow delivery workers who are not only exposed to the dangers of the streets, but now also fear those who should be protecting us.
4:48:31
There is a tension when delivering food to a building with the uncertainty of not knowing what will happen or who will come to receive the order and how will I be received given my condition.
4:48:43
The frustration, fear, and the feeling that I might be detained are constant from the moment I step out onto the street without knowing whether I will make it back home.
4:48:56
Day by day, delivery worker become an easy target, and we are increasingly exposed.
4:49:01
The way they're trying to criminalize or punish people who are simply offering a service to the community is a way to punish those who bring food to people tables.
4:49:12
Offering good service, we have been pursued by the police and for any reason, no matter how small they're trying to issue fines.
4:49:20
And many of us have unjustified tickets, yet delivery worker have taken it upon themselves to resolve these fines by attending court, even with the fear of not knowing what might happen.
4:49:37
Even so, we paid the ticket because we seek to be more responsible and committed.
4:49:42
Our organizing work will not stop.
4:49:45
These moments are crucial to demonstrating our commitment to people in vulnerable conditions and the challenge make us stronger.
4:49:51
We have carried our awareness campaigns, state safety initiatives, inform other of the rights and help reinforce laws to protect all those who need it.
4:50:01
We we have also been working with various city agencies to create many more protections.
4:50:06
The community is always alert because we are an organization that has created a positive impact in all five five boroughs in New York City.
4:50:15
We are here today asking city council to provide funding to keep our centers open, funding to keep providing case management and education and support to our communities.
4:50:25
Thank you.