New York City has a long tradition of welcoming and supporting immigrants, and led the nation by implementing the first minimum pay rate for meal delivery workers last year — many of whom come from immigrant backgrounds. The pay increase was a welcome moment for thousands of workers, but now, it’s time for the city to finish the job.
The City Council must extend this benefit to everyone that makes up the backbone of our city’s economy and make sure that the rules for all delivery workers are really working for them. These workers deserve fairness and dignity for their work, and the city has an opportunity to right an ongoing inequity in its regulations.
We hear every day from those coming through our doors just how important it is for immigrant families to get support from our city’s leaders. Since we founded the Muslim Community Network in 2003 as a safe haven for Muslim New Yorkers, our organization has grown to serve and advocate for immigrant communities citywide.
For so many immigrant New Yorkers — representing every borough across the city — delivery work offers a low barrier way to make ends meet. It’s not always easy, but these workers are working hard to make an honest living, ensuring that New Yorkers can order everything from meals to groceries to household essentials with ease.
These jobs are vital to members of our community to help them support their families and navigate a new country. For many, it’s their first step toward the American dream.
However, when the city took such a bold step by raising wages for just restaurant delivery workers, it did so in a way that prevented all delivery workers from receiving the same pay for the same work.
Under existing law, very similar apps are treated very differently — even if the workers using them are making the same kinds of deliveries from the same places. This inconsistency has created significant frustration and confusion among many workers who are just trying to make ends meet. Worse, it has undermined the opportunities these jobs provide, forcing workers to navigate arbitrary disparities that limit their ability to earn a fair wage.
Thankfully, there’s an opportunity to bring about change and level the playing field for all third-party delivery workers. New bills in the Council — Int 1133-2024 and Int 1135-2024 — would expand the pay rate and worker protections to all workers, allowing New York City to take another step toward protecting the livelihoods of some of our hardest workers and ensuring fairness, dignity, and economic stability for our immigrant communities.
At the time the minimum pay rate went into effect, it was not clear why delivering a meal from a restaurant would apply, but food from a grocery store did not receive the same considerations. Grocery delivery presents the same dynamics for a delivery worker — there’s no reason to treat them differently.
Now, with changes that we have seen to how platforms operate, the inconsistencies have created a situation for workers where they don’t know what to expect, making it even more difficult for them to consider what works best for them.
The Council must vote to pass these bills and support the hardworking delivery workers who are striving for the American dream in the city they’ve helped build. These immigrants work tirelessly, and contribute to the economy that makes New York the city that never sleeps. It’s only fair that they are treated equally under the law for doing equal work.
Without meaningful changes, we risk further marginalizing the very communities that have always been at the heart of New York’s success.
As the leader of MCN, where every day we help newly arrived New Yorkers find their footing, I know how challenging it is to chart your own path in a new place. They understand that nothing comes easy or free, but hard work should come with the chance to build a better future.
Policymakers are right to take a closer look at how these pay rules are really playing out, especially on immigrant communities who disproportionately bear the burden of flawed policies.
The diversity and resilience of our immigrant communities are what make New York great. Let’s show the entire delivery workforce that we value their contributions by ensuring that all delivery workers, regardless of the app they’re using, receive fair compensation for their essential service.
The Council must vote to pass these bills and demonstrate that our city values fairness, opportunity, and the people who make it thrive.
Yatabarry is the executive director of the Muslim Community Network.
