INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Despite what companies have said about providing personal protective equipment to gig workers, some workers say they are struggling to get
masks, gloves and other items from companies like Target-owned Shipt, Uber, Lyft and Instacart.
PPE is still a huge issue for us,& Shipt
shopper and organizer Willy Solis told TechCrunch
&We have dozens of reports across the country where shoppers have gone to pick up their equipment to be told it only for employees
On top of that, Target Twitter account essentially said that much.
Earlier this month, Shipt workers staged a walk-off in protest of Shipt
treatment of workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic
Around that time, Shipt said it would provide all shoppers with gloves and a mask within the next two weeks
Those shoppers, Shipt said, would be able to pick them up at their nearest Target stores
Shipt said it also would allow its most active shoppers to claim a free kit that included gloves and hand sanitizer
But some shoppers report struggling to pick up the PPE at Target and through the Shipt app.
Shipt declined to comment for this story, but
pointed us to both Shipt and Target respective announcements.
Over in Los Angeles, some Uber and Lyft drivers say the rideshare companies
have yet to provide them with face masks and other protective equipment
This is in light of LA Mayor Eric Garcetti Worker Protection Order, which requires companies to provide essential workers with PPE.
As an
Uber driver, I&m incredibly vulnerable to infection,& Uber driver Deborah Garcia said in a statement
&I transport dozens of passengers every day, and many are the doctors and nurses dealing with coronavirus cases up close
UberandLyft love to talk about drivers as heroes on the frontlines, but what does it say about these companies that they&d rather brainstorm
clever hashtags than use even a small slice of their billions to keep drivers like me safe? It infuriating, and it time for our elected
officials to take action.
Uber says it has begun distributing masks to active drivers and delivery workers throughout the nation, initially
focused on New York City and Los Angeles
Active drivers and delivery people in Los Angeles who have requested masks should receive them in the mail by the end of this week,
according to Uber.
This is a long-term commitment,& an Uber spokesperson told TechCrunch
&We have ordered tens of millions of masks for drivers around the world and expect another major shipment to the United States very
soon.
Uber says it has also started shipping around 30,000 bottles of disinfectant
Lyft, in response to claims that the company is not providing PPE, says what drivers are saying is not true.
In light of the latest CDC
guidance on cloth face coverings, we&ve ordered face masks for drivers at no cost to them,& a Lyft spokesperson told TechCrunch
&We have been making them available to drivers, prioritizing regions where additional guidance about face coverings has been given
This includes LA, where we&ve already begun handing out thousands of face coverings to drivers.
Lyft began distributing masks last Saturday,
and distributed some more this past Monday and Wednesday
Lyft plans to distribute more on Friday
So far, Lyft says it has been able to hand out thousands of masks.
There are also reports that Instacart shoppers are having difficulty
obtaining hand sanitizer and reusable face masks, according to The Hill
Instacart says it has been providing shoppers with hand sanitizer since last week and began shipping thousands of kits with face masks,
sanitizer and thermometers this past Monday.
Nationwide, there is an understanding that gig workers delivering food and groceries, and
providing rides to people during the pandemic, are essential
As more cities begin to implement rules requiring people to wear masks upon entering grocery stores, companies will be forced to step up
their production and delivery of personal protective equipment to workers.
