Amazon, for its part, opposes the measure aimed at ending the use of subcontractors for last-mile delivery.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is lending his office’s support to a measure aimed at changing last-mile delivery practices. The delivery protection law was presented a few months ago to the city council of the great metropolis. Many companies that make high-volume deliveries, including Amazon, rely on contractors rather than employees to handle packages on the final leg of their journey to customers. The proposed legislation would create new licensing rules for these last-mile operations and require delivery workers to be regular employees rather than contractors.
In a video statement released today announcing his support for the bill, Mamdani explained how Amazon controls many details regarding when and how deliveries are made in the metropolis, but avoids responsibility for any incidents that might occur on the job because delivery drivers and couriers are contractors. “If Amazon delivers your packages, they have to follow the same rules as every other delivery company,” Mamdani said.
Supporters of the bill, including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, argue it would help hold big companies accountable for the delivery experience and provide better pay and benefits for professionals making those deliveries. Opponents, including unsurprisingly Amazon, say the bill would increase costs and slow deliveries for customers. This could see companies with massive delivery operations move their distribution centers out of New York to avoid the additional regulation.
