Gig Worker Protections Find Testing Ground in NYC, Seattle
Delivery drivers and others in the app economy made labor strides in 2023. In 2024, other cities will be watching to see if they stick.
A delivery person rides an electric bike through the streets of Manhattan on Nov. 15, 2022.
Photographer: Spencer Platt/Getty Images North AmericaAs the share of gig workers in the US grows, new protections going into effect in several US cities will provide a test case for workers’ rights in a burgeoning sector of app-based work.
In Seattle and New York City, laws intended to bring delivery drivers up to minimum wage will change how workers for services like DoorDash Inc. and Uber Technologies Inc. are paid. Rather than earning per trip, they will be compensated on a time and distance basis or at a rate every time they are offered a job.