New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called out Amazon for worker exploitation and backed a bill that would make Amazon responsible for delivery-driver crashes and injuries instead of hiding behind a subcontractor model.
Council members and labor leaders back the bill and say workers deserve the same respect Amazon and other large corporations complain about not receiving.
Here's what to know
At a rally outside City Hall, supporters argued that the proposed Delivery Protection Act targets a business model they say shifts risk onto workers and the people sharing the road with them, according to an Instagram post from More Perfect Union.
Backers of New York City's proposed Delivery Protection Act say the measure would make Amazon answer for those workers when damages or injuries occur. As the outlet reported, Amazon relies on outside firms to recruit and oversee delivery drivers rather than hiring them directly, allegedly to absolve itself of responsibility and liability for a large part of its operation.
Supporters said the proposal goes beyond workplace policy, arguing that delivery arrangements shape both working conditions and safety on city streets. The rally drew the city's Mayor, along with city council members and labor leaders.
The post described Amazon's approach, saying Amazon is "using subcontractors to hire and manage delivery drivers without officially employing those workers, all to skirt liability for damages or injuries."
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Mayor Mamdani said drivers are sent "on routes time to the minute" through streets crowded with buses, cyclists, and pedestrians, delivering goods across the city "in every neighborhood, in every borough." He used that description to emphasize the pressure the job creates.
What's being done?
Legislation is already proposed, and advocates are urging the City Council to pass it. The Delivery Protection Act aims to regulate delivery logistics, echoing Zohran's argument that Amazon should not be able to distance itself from drivers who wear company gear, drive branded vans, and follow company-set routes while officially working for another firm on paper.
Addressing workers and labor leaders at the rally, Zohran said, "All you ask in return is job stability, labor protections and safe working conditions. That is not greed. That is the bare minimum. It is what every New Yorker deserves." Supporters say the bill targets a corporate setup that avoids basic accountability.
Zohran summed up the dispute this way at the rally: "When a driver wears an Amazon vest, drives an Amazon van, follows a route Amazon sets, and Amazon insists that driver does not work for them. What is that if not exploitation?"
Where can I learn more?
These stories offer more context on the scrutiny facing Amazon's delivery and warehouse operations in New York and beyond.
• A former Amazon driver described a chain of human suffering behind fast delivery promises.
• In New York City, officials weighed controversial legislation targeting Amazon and other e-commerce giants.
• Amazon's Rivian deal pushed spending past $1 billion as its delivery fleet expanded.
• Amazon faced criticism after electric delivery fleet charging relied on diesel generators.
• In the UK, customers and sellers pursued multibillion-dollar lawsuits over Amazon practices.
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