NYC Mayor Pushes Amazon to Hire Drivers Directly

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani endorsed the Delivery Protection Act on Monday, a bill that would force companies like Amazon to employ delivery drivers directly rather than through subcontractors. The legislation, proposed by the Teamsters, bars last-mile facilities from subcontracting core warehouse and delivery work. Operators must get a license from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection and meet minimum safety and training standards. The bill also makes companies accountable for quotas, schedules, and routes that shape working conditions, according to an official release.

Mamdani said in a statement that corporations like Amazon build billion-dollar business models by insulating themselves from accountability through exploitative subcontracting. He called the bill a common-sense regulation that protects workers, safeguards communities, and ensures corporations are responsible for the consequences of their practices.

Amazon operates 11 last-mile facilities in New York City that opened since 2020. The company does not directly employ drivers working from those sites. But a Bloomberg Businessweek investigation found Amazon controls which drivers subcontractors can hire, their schedules, routes, conduct, and uniforms.

A 2025 report by the Office of the Comptroller found injury-causing crashes rose in 78% of areas near last-mile facilities after they opened. In Maspeth, crashes near FedEx and Amazon warehouses climbed 53% and 48% respectively. A group of facilities in East New York also recorded significant increases in crashes within a half-mile radius.

Amazon opposes the bill. In a statement, the company said the measure threatens more than 40 local small business partners and the jobs of 5,000 people they employ. An Amazon spokesperson said the company is committed to safe, fast, and affordable delivery for New Yorkers.

Some contractors echoed that view. Rudy Cazares, who runs delivery services for Amazon and FedEx in the city, said his employees wear brand uniforms, but the companies have no control over his hiring, firing, or promotion decisions.

The New York Delivers coalition, which opposes the bill, said around 10,000 delivery positions could be affected, including 3,500 in Harlem and four neighboring City Council districts. The coalition noted 82% of last-mile delivery workers lack a college degree, and 84% are non-white. It argued the bill could raise costs for residents and eliminate local jobs.

For the New York Times, the bill's opponents warned it could pressure Amazon to move distribution hubs out of the city to avoid the rules, potentially eliminating thousands of local jobs.

Mamdani argued New Yorkers should not subsidize corporate profits with less safe streets and more precarious jobs. The City Council has not set a vote date.