NYC food delivery workers win first-in-the-nation minimum wage

New York, New York - Food delivery workers in the Big Apple are poised to get a first-in-the-nation minimum wage!

Delivery workers in New York City have succeeded in winning a minimum wage of nearly $18 an hour, to be enforced by July 12, 2023.
Delivery workers in New York City have succeeded in winning a minimum wage of nearly $18 an hour, to be enforced by July 12, 2023.  © IMAGO / NurPhoto

Starting in July, app-based delivery workers in New York City will get at least $17.96 an hour plus tips. That salary is set to rise to $19.96 per hour by 2025 and be adjusted for inflation in the years following.

New York City delivery workers currently make, on average, $7.09 an hour – well below the city's $15-an-hour minimum wage.

The new wage increase is the result of Los Deliveristas Unidos and other workers' rights groups' relentless campaigning for better wages and working conditions.

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"'Getting Stuff Done' for working people is what this administration is all about, and that includes some of the hardest working New Yorkers: our delivery workers," NYC Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement.

"Our delivery workers have consistently delivered for us – now, we are delivering for them."

Food delivery companies oppose the new minimum wage

But not everyone was happy about the news. Delivery apps, including Uber, DoorDash, and Grubhub, have expressed opposition to the new pay raise.

"Given the broken process that resulted in such an extreme final minimum pay rule, we will continue to explore all paths forward – including litigation – to ensure we continue to best support Dashers and protect the flexibility that so many delivery workers like them depend on," DoorDash said.

Grubhub said it is "disappointed" in the decision, while Uber claimed the city "isn't being honest" with workers.

Cover photo: IMAGO / NurPhoto

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