INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
To help gig workers make ends meet during these times of job insecurity amid COVID-19, New York City is offering gig workers who are
licensed with the TLC to help with delivery work.
While the demand for drivers is currently small, NYC says it expects demand to increase
for meal delivery to senior citizens and other residents who need to stay home
The jobs pay $15 per hour, as well as reimbursement for gas mileage and tolls
By law, in New York City, Uber, Lyft and Via drivers make a minimum of $27.86 per hour, with an allocation for expenses
After you account for those expenses, it comes out to about $17.22 an hour*
The World is changing around us and many of you are without work
as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,& the TLC wrote in an email to licensees today
&You are a top priority for the TLC and we recognize that you are among the hardest hit by this public health crisis
As we look at all possible ways to help you and as we assess needs citywide, we ask for your assistance and participation in the City
response.
Those interested can head over to www.nyc.gov/DeliveryTLC to learn more and sign up
Jobs will be offered on a first-come, first-serve basis.
New York City for-hire vehicle drivers have seen their earnings plummet amid this
Drivers are ready to step up to help the city in this time of great need,& Independent Drivers Guild Executive Director Brendan Sexton said
&We are thankful that the city sees the value in this workforce and appreciate the Commissioner hard work to make DeliveryTLC a
reality.
Last week, both Uber and Lyft suspended their carpooling services in the United States in an attempt to limit the spread of the
And just three days ago, New York Gov
Andrew Cuomo ordered all non-essential retailers and businesses to close.
Meanwhile, there have been reports that demand has generally been
on the decline in light of growing concerns about the virus
Lyft, for example, says it has seen a decline in demand and has consequently expanded its services to include delivery and partnerships
with nonprofit organizations, the healthcare industry and the government
Uber, on the other hand, has said demand for ride-hailing services has dropped as much as 70% in the cities most impacted by the
coronavirus.
Earlier today, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi sent a letter to the White House, asking that gig workers get protection and
financial support in the COVID-19 stimulus packages
In that same letter, Khosrowshahi argued that there needs to be a third employment classification for gig workers that &would update our
labor laws to remove the forced choice between flexibility and protection for millions of American workers.
Over in California, where gig
worker protections bill AB 5 became law earlier this year, a group of gig workers are pushing for legislators to fully enforce the new law
That would help to ensure gig workers have access to paid sick leave, disability insurance, family leave and unemployment.
*This story has
been updated to reflect hourly wages of rideshare drivers in New York City.
