Amazon delivery drivers rallied at Chicago City Hall on Tuesday as aldermen took up a proposed ordinance that could reshape how the e-commerce giant and other last-mile companies operate across the city. The Delivery Protection Act would require last-mile delivery facilities to obtain municipal operating licenses and would ban the use of third-party delivery service partners for core package deliveries, a model Amazon relies on heavily in Chicago.
The Chicago City Council held a Joint Subject Matter Hearing between the Committee on License and Consumer Protection and the Committee on Workforce Development on Tuesday alongside the drivers' rally, as reported by Teamsters Joint Council 25. The ordinance, introduced by 12th Ward Alderwoman Julia Ramirez, is moving through the city council process, according to FOX 32 Chicago. Ramirez said worker and neighborhood safety should not be sacrificed for delivery convenience, per that station's report.
Drivers Describe Mounting Quotas
Michael Daddio, a delivery driver, told the station that consumers often do not realize drivers work for delivery service partners rather than Amazon directly. He said that when he started, drivers were expected to make 15 to 20 stops an hour; the same routes now demand 30 to 35 stops an hour, the outlet notes. Daddio said Amazon controls delivery routes, package sizes and delivery locations, and drivers now face larger routes, more packages and pressure to keep up, with some risking retaliation if they ground a vehicle they believe is unsafe.
The proposed ordinance includes licensing requirements, safety standards covering roads, pedestrians, buildings and zoning, and mandatory disclosure of previous violations, per the same account. Under the proposal, all last-mile delivery facilities operating within city limits would need municipal operating licenses and would be barred from using third-party delivery service partners for core deliveries, according to LaborPress. Unions argue the subcontracting arrangement shields parent logistics companies from liability while capping driver wages.
A National Playbook Imported From New York
The Chicago measure concerns issues also addressed by New York City's Delivery Protection Act, sponsored by Council Member Tiffany Cabán and supported by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, according to Forbes. New York City has moved forward with similar last-mile delivery legislation. Labor advocates are pursuing municipal ordinances partly because federal mechanisms have not settled the underlying dispute: around May 2026, an administrative law judge at the National Labor Relations Board approved a settlement between Amazon and federal labor officials over a California delivery service partner, letting Amazon provide back pay without establishing a binding national precedent classifying it as a joint employer, as reported by FreightWaves. The dispute concerns Amazon's control over DSP policies and drivers.
At the state level, Illinois lawmakers sent House Bill 2547 to the governor on January 22, 2025; if signed, it would require large warehouse facilities to disclose employee quotas in writing and ban quotas that interfere with mandatory rest or bathroom breaks, according to Vensure. That proposed measure regulates indoor warehouse quota transparency but does not touch third-party courier subcontracting, leaving the Chicago ordinance to address a gap the state measure could leave open.
Broad Labor Backing, Fierce Business Pushback
The Delivery Protection Act has drawn formal backing from Teamsters Joint Council 25, per PR Newswire. Teamsters and ordinance supporters argue Amazon avoids direct responsibility through independent delivery companies while exercising too much control over drivers, and business groups warn the proposal could drive delivery businesses out of Chicago, cost jobs and make package delivery more expensive, according to FOX 32 Chicago's reporting.
The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce is urging the city council to reject the ordinance, and a broader business coalition is calling on aldermen to do the same. Mohammed Khan, who owns Star Fleet Logistics, said the proposed regulations could force his company to close, costing it three million dollars in income were that to happen. Star Fleet Logistics employs drivers and provides health care, dental, vision, retirement and tuition benefits, and Khan said the company prioritizes safety while using rescue drivers and additional help to reduce worker overload, per the same account. Khan acknowledged delivery quotas can become excessive but said Amazon has worked with Star Fleet Logistics to adjust delivery expectations when necessary.
Amazon Points to Pay and Ownership Data
Amazon did not comment directly on the proposed ordinance but said it supports good jobs, employees and local small-business partners in Chicago, and that it provides fast, affordable delivery in a safe working environment, according to the station's report. The company said Chicago delivery service partners are 85 percent minority-owned, 54 percent Black or Hispanic-owned and 15 percent veteran-owned, and that Chicago's delivery service partners collectively employ more than 1,000 people who earn nearly $23 an hour on average, with healthcare coverage for full-time employees and paid time off.
Chicago delivery service partners, business groups and DSP owners argue that independent delivery companies provide jobs and benefits and warn new regulations could put independent delivery companies out of business entirely. That tension between labor's push for direct accountability and the DSP industry's franchise model sits at the center of the council debate now underway.
Money and Data Behind the New York Fight
Corporate disclosure filings from mid-2026 showed Amazon contributed more than $5 million to opposition groups, including the Five Borough Jobs Campaign, to fund public campaigns against New York's version of the bill, according to New York Focus. A logistics industry impact study commissioned by that same campaign estimated that banning delivery subcontracting could raise annual household delivery expenses by $664 and threaten more than 10,000 city workers, Forbes reported separately.
Workplace safety is also part of the New York debate, while Amazon has said it invested more than $2.5 billion in safety initiatives since 2019, according to a report from the Americans for Tax Reform-affiliated site atr.org, citing Forbes. Proponents argue rapid delivery quotas induce unsafe driving, while companies point to that technology spending and industry-standard injury rates.
Rooted in a Longer Neighborhood Fight
The current push also has a neighborhood dimension beyond labor economics alone. Community and labor concerns about last-mile logistics hubs add a local dimension to the debate over subcontracting.
At Tuesday's joint hearing, Teamsters called on aldermen to support the measure while business groups pressed for its rejection. The dispute underscores scrutiny of the company's employment practices in Chicago and beyond.
