Mayor Eric Adams incited criticism yesterday after vetoing two key bills that set to guarantee grocery delivery workers in New York City a minimum pay rate comparable to their counterparts who deliver restaurant food. The proposed legislation would've benefitted nearly 20,000 grocery delivery workers by mandating an hourly minimum pay of $21.44, as obtained by Gothamist. According to the report, Adams' concern is that increased wages would inflate grocery prices during a period when economy strains are already heavy on New Yorkers.
This move by Mayor Adams came despite previous legislation which elevated pay for restaurant delivery workers to the same figure. First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro supported the mayor's decision, suggesting, "The cost of delivering groceries would go up because the wages of the workers making the deliveries would go up," in an interview with Gothamist. The City Council, clearly aggrieved by the mayor's veto, hinted at considering overriding it with a two-thirds majority.
Unfazed by allegations of hypocrisy from the City Council, Adams justifies his stance as balancing fair wages with keeping living costs reasonable for all city dwellers. A spokesperson for Instacart, one of the companies that would have been affected by the bills, expressed gratitude towards Mayor Adams’ decision and requested the council to reflect again on its backing of the legislation, as reported by Gothamist.
Conversely, the National Employment Law Project illustrates a starkly different perspective, highlighting the plight of grocery delivery workers who are earning what is claimed to be poverty wages. "Today, Mayor Eric Adams vetoed two City Council bills that would have guaranteed delivery workers for companies like Instacart, GoPuff, and Amazon Flex, the minimum wage virtually all other employers in the city are legally required to pay," the critique expressed in an article by NELP. They describe Adams’ act as defying his own administration's work and suggest that guaranteeing fair pay for delivery workers will not exacerbate the cost of groceries for struggling families.
In the face of these conflicting viewpoints, the City Council's reaction suggests an upcoming challenge to the mayor's veto, as it stands committed to protecting the rights of all workers in the city. Amidst assertions that Adams is giving in to corporate interests at the expense of hard-working New Yorkers, the council and advocacy groups are rallying support to push for sustainable wages in the delivery industry—a sector that has become essential in the city's daily grind.
