A Chinese delivery worker in south Brooklyn continued to deliver orders throughout his 10-hour workday despite the hazardous air conditions.
If you are out for a long time, your breathing becomes more difficult. The delivery worker who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation said, “It starts to hurt.” Through an NBC News translator, the Mandarin-speaking worker expressed her feelings in Mandarin. It’s like smoking. “The more you smoke, the worse your throat will hurt.”
This Brooklyn worker,38 ,is just one of many delivery people who braved the weather outside, despite the air quality in the city being the worst on the planet during a time period Wednesday due to smoke from more than 400 fires burning in Canada. Many delivery workers in all five boroughs said that they could not afford to miss work despite the advisories. This is especially true since many of them are independent contractors and there is no minimum wage.
Officials continued to warn people about the poor air quality on Thursday. They advised them to use air purifiers and close their windows and doors. Residents were advised to wear N95 or a KN95 mask and limit their outdoor time.
Workers continued to deliver on motorcycles, scooters, and other vehicles which were exposed to the open. Antonio Solis is a 36-year-old app delivery worker and member of the Los Deliveristas Unidos group. He said that many other workers like him are also affected by taking time off. They risk not being able to pay their bills and rent on time, and they may even be unable to send money back to their families.
Solis, speaking in Spanish to NBC News, said: “We do not have a choice.”
The workers reported that business continued to grow. The workers said they depend on tips from people who don’t like to go outside and pay drivers according to that. Solis stated that this level of generosity is usually only seen in extreme weather conditions.
Solis: “I have learned that bad weather is a problem that must be dealt with if we want to get more orders or tips.” “We get more tips when it’s bad weather, whether it be rain, snow or other types of bad weather.”
Uber and DoorDash, two popular apps, did not respond to NBC News requests for comment. Grubhub, which owns Seamless and another delivery app called GrubHub noted in a press release that the company would not penalize those who did not feel safe during the air quality crisis. Employees can also order free PPE kits via the company website. DoorDash also offers free masks on its website. Uber reimburses its drivers in one lump sum for masks, disinfectants and sanitizers.
Deliveristas, as Ligia said, are “on the frontlines,” an organization which advocates for better conditions for low-wage immigrants. They’re responding by delivering food and essentials such as masks, medicine, and essentials for New Yorkers to stay at home safely.
Guallpa explained the majority of the 65,000 app based delivery workers who work in the city are immigrants, mainly from South and East Asia and Latin America. They end up working in delivery jobs because they can easily access them. Delivery workers are not covered by labor laws and are exempted from the minimum wage requirement because they are independent contractors.
According to the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, workers earn on average $14.18 an hour before expenses. This is split evenly between tips and payments made through apps. Guallpa, a delivery worker who was among those celebrating the passage of protections in 2021 by the city, said that Mayor Eric Adams’ administration had missed the January deadline for implementing the rule. The city has proposed new proposals but no minimum wage requirement exists to date.
The Adams administration is currently finalizing a regulation that will ensure that delivery workers are paid at a fair rate. A spokesperson for City Hall said that they were looking forward to the announcement of this rule.
“We are seeing a city that has ignored the urgency of implementing the minimum wage. Guallpa stated that it has been six months since the minimum wage was implemented. Because this is the slowest time of year, people have to be out on the street in order to get more deliveries and more tips.
Huang Mu Wang makes Brooklyn deliveries through apps. He also believes that delivery workers are a vital part of the city ecosystem. He said that as long as other people are working, delivery workers will be needed on the road, because “people have to eat.”
Huang stated that health concerns were hard to ignore. The sky turned orange and darkened Wednesday afternoon. His eyes were irritated, and he found it harder to drive. He said that some others were concerned about accidents due to the poor visibility and discomfort.
Huang replied in Mandarin, “Of Course I was afraid.” “New York was in fear and there was hardly anyone on the streets.”
The workers who spoke with NBC News claimed that they did not receive masks or other protective gear from their app delivery companies. They said that most had to purchase their masks themselves or use their pandemic stock. There has been little health advice. Unnamed Brooklyn deliveryman said that he had been told to rest indoors in between orders.
Solis and his colleagues decided to distribute free N95 masks in Astoria Queens. On Thursday, they will go out to distribute more masks. Some other delivery workers also chose eye goggles.
Guallpa stated that many independent contractors are responsible for finding their own equipment and for their own health and safety. If they fall ill, they would not be able access health insurance nor hold their employer responsible. If they don’t work the hours that they are scheduled to, they will most likely be deactivated. This is a form of retaliation.
In a previous statement , an Uber spokeswoman told NBC News that the representatives perform a thorough assessment before they are deactivated.
The spokesperson stated that “we know that drivers depend on Uber for their income, so we don’t take the decision to deactivate the driver’s account lightly.” We give multiple warnings before deactivating a driver’s account, unless there is an emergency or a safety threat. We also give drivers the option to appeal deactivations that are eligible, such as by providing additional photos or videos.
Solis expressed his hope that others would better understand the plight of those who continue to suffer in poor conditions.
Solis stated, “We hope that people will see the effort we put in to be able deliver hot meals to our patients and their medicines.” “Sometimes, we make an extraordinary effort.”
