New York City Mayor on Monday (local time) voiced his support for the reportedly controversial ‘Delivery Protection Act’, a proposed law that would require delivery companies such as Amazon to directly employ thousands of drivers instead of relying on contractors.
Proposed by the Teamsters, the latest regulation would bar companies from subcontracting core warehouse and delivery work at last-mile facilities while requiring workers to be directly employed by the operator, the New York Post reported.
Mamdani’s remarks on Delivery Protection Act
In a statement, he said, “Corporations like build billion-dollar business models by insulating themselves from accountability through a system of exploitative subcontracting. As last-mile delivery centers have exploded across New York, so too have traffic accidents and worker injuries.”
He called the bill a “common-sense regulation that protects delivery workers, safeguards the communities where these facilities operate and ensures that the corporations benefiting from workers’ labor are responsible for the consequences of their business practices.”
Mamdani added, “New Yorkers should not be forced to subsidize corporate profits with less safe streets and more precarious jobs. The people who make these companies run deserve dignity, stability and a safe workplace. It’s time to end the subcontracting model that puts profits over people and build an economy that works for working New Yorkers.”
What does the Delivery Protection Act propose?
The Delivery Protection Act would make it mandatory for last-mile facilities to obtain licenses from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) and establish minimum safety, training, and worker protection standards. Further, the legislation would also ensure companies are accountable for the quotas, schedules, and routes that shape working conditions and affect public safety, according to an official release.
Why is the Mamdani administration backing the Delivery Protection Act?
Last-mile facilities are where parcels are sorted and prepared for their final journey to customers. Around 18 major facilities have opened across City since 2017, including 11 since 2020. Although large delivery companies such as Amazon do not directly employ the drivers operating from these sites, they do have significant influence over working conditions and operations. A recent Bloomberg Businessweek investigation found that Amazon determines factors including which drivers subcontractors can hire, their schedules, routes, conduct and uniforms.
These facilities have also been linked to concerns over in the city. A 2025 report by the Office of the Comptroller found that injury-causing crashes increased in at least 78 per cent of areas surrounding the facilities after they opened. In Maspeth, crashes near major FedEx and Amazon warehouses rose by 53 per cent and 48 per cent, respectively. A group of last-mile facilities in East New York also recorded significant increases in crashes within a half-mile radius.
Amazon opposes bill, warns of increased delivery costs
According to The New York Times, the bill’s opponents, including Amazon, have argued that the measure would increase delivery costs for consumers while slowing package deliveries. The opponents also warned that it could pressure Amazon to move its distribution hubs out of the city to avoid the new rules, potentially eliminating thousands of local .
Earlier in April this year, Amazon opposed the proposed legislation and said, “Our commitment to providing safe, fast, and affordable delivery to New Yorkers is central to everything we do in this city. If enacted as written, Introduction No. 0518-2026 would directly undermine that commitment by threatening the more than 40 local small businesses we partner with to deliver to Amazon customers and the jobs of the more than 5,000 people they employ.”
An Amazon spokesperson said, “We’re committed to creating good jobs, supporting our thousands of employees and local small business partners in New York City, and providing fast, reliable delivery for New Yorkers.”
Delivery contractors oppose the bill: Here’s why
Some Amazon contractors have argued that the proposed rules could ultimately hurt delivery workers rather than benefit them.
Rudy Cazares, who runs companies that provide delivery services for Amazon and in New York City, said that while his employees wear uniforms displaying the brands’ names, the companies have no control over his hiring, firing, or promotion decisions.
The New York Delivers coalition has also opposed the bill, arguing that it could put thousands of delivery jobs and small businesses at risk while raising costs for New York residents. The group said around 10,000 delivery positions across the city could be affected if Mamdani signs the legislation, including approximately 3,500 last-mile delivery jobs in Harlem and four neighbouring City Council districts.
The coalition also noted that 82 per cent of last-mile delivery workers do not hold a college degree, while 84 per cent are non-white. It plans to highlight the concerns of delivery workers and small-business owners who believe the proposed law could threaten their livelihoods.
The move reflects a clash between Mamdani’s push for greater corporate accountability and concerns from delivery companies and contractors about rising costs, jobs and the future of New York City’s delivery network.
