Mayor Vetoes Bills to Raise Wages for Grocery Delivery Workers

The legislation would have mandated a minimum wage for app-based grocery delivery workers for companies like Instacart. The Council says it is considering next steps, as advocates push lawmakers to override the veto.

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On Wednesday night, Mayor Eric Adams vetoed two bills, Int. 1135 and Int. 1113-A, that would have mandated a minimum wage for app-based grocery delivery workers for companies like Instacart.

“Now is not the time to do anything that will further increase the cost for New Yorkers of obtaining groceries, when prices are already too high,” said Eric Adams in his veto message. 

He says Int. 1135 would increase the cost of groceries for vulnerable communities like seniors, people with disabilities, and families that do not have access to “quality grocery stores,” and rely on deliveries instead. Adams said he remains committed to increasing minimum wage rates for app-based delivery workers, but not right now during a time of “economic uncertainty.” 

The two bills were part of a package passed last month by the City Council with a veto-proof majority. They would have required a minimum wage established by the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) for grocery delivery workers and extended other protections, such as insulated delivery bags and access to bathrooms. 

Advocates and the City Council criticized the mayor’s veto, calling it a step backward for New York.

“Without fair wages and protections for delivery workers, there is no sustainable industry, just exploitation,” said City Council Spokesperson Julia Agos. “It’s disappointing but unsurprising that the mayor is once again prioritizing corporate interests over New Yorkers and parroting inaccurate talking points to justify his actions that hurt working-class people.” 

Instacart has lobbied heavily against the bills, testifying last year that they would only increase fees for customers and commissioning billboard trucks with ads criticizing the legislation.

In a statement Thursday, Councilmember Sandy Nurse, who sponsored one of the bills, accused the mayor of aligning himself with “a multi-billion dollar company that refuses to pay their workers fairly.”

“By rejecting these bills, the Mayor will only make it harder for these predominantly Black and brown workers to feed themselves and their families,” said Ligia Guallpa, executive director of Los Deliveristas Unidos, in a statement.

Los Deliveristas Unidos championed app-based delivery workers in advocating for a minimum wage that was won in 2023, but only for restaurant delivery workers. The law left “loopholes” that excluded those delivering groceries. 

Guallpa said that the requirement helped boost the incomes of workers and created “economic security” as the demand for food deliveries rose. “Proving that these companies can afford to pay workers fairly and provide affordable value to customers,” said Guallpa. 

The Council says it is considering next steps, as advocates push lawmakers to override the veto.

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