The New York Times and others are reporting that New York City is taking another significant step forward in protecting gig workers’ rights. The City Council is expected to pass legislation that will extend minimum wage protections to nearly 20,000 grocery delivery workers who have been left out of previous reforms.
What’s Set to Change?
Back in 2021, NYC passed groundbreaking legislation that established minimum pay standards for food delivery workers who deliver from restaurants through apps like Grubhub, DoorDash, and Uber Eats. However, grocery delivery workers using platforms like Instacart and Shipt were excluded from these protections.
The new package of five bills will change that by requiring third-party grocery delivery app companies to pay workers a minimum of $21.44 per hour – the same rate that food delivery workers currently receive.
Additional Worker Protections
Beyond the minimum wage increase, the legislation includes several other important protections:
Mandatory Tip Options: Apps must provide customers with an option to give at least a 10% tip before or when placing an order.
Timely Payment: Companies must pay workers within seven days of the end of each pay period.
Why This Matters
This legislation represents a significant victory for worker advocacy groups like Los Deliveristas Unidos, which has been fighting for better conditions for delivery workers. The delivery industry has exploded since the COVID-19 pandemic, with over 100 million deliveries from third-party apps in New York City alone. Many grocery delivery workers struggle with extremely low pay. The anticipated changes are set to improve the lives of thousands of these grocery delivery workers.
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*Samantha Latson, New York CIty Set to Expand Minimum Pay Law for Delivery Workers, N.Y. Times, July 13, 2025, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/13/nyregion/instacart-doordash-shipt-minimum-pay.html?smid=em-share; Phil Tait and Eyewitness News, NYC Council Expected to Pass Bills Boosting Pay for Grocery Delivery Workers, ABC7NY.com, July 14, 2025, https://abc7ny.com/post/nyc-council-expected-pass-bills-boosting-pay-grocery-delivery-workers/17112572/.
**UPDATE: The NYC Council voted in favor of these measures on July 14, 2025.
