Nelson’s Gig Worker Sub-Minimum Wage Proposal Postponed at Eleventh Hour
For Immediate Release:
May 28, 2024
Contact: Hannah Sabio-Howell | hannah@workingwa.org
The worst pay standard proposal in the country postponed within an hour of Council’s scheduled vote, workers react
Following news of the postponement, delivery drivers remark on the proposal as a reflection of Seattle’s values that workers deserve a living wage and inclusion in stakeholdering about policies that affect us
Seattle, WA – Council President Sara Nelson announcing that she’s postponing the vote on her own policy to reduce gig workers’ wages, less than an hour before the vote was scheduled to take place, communicates two things.
One: worker organizing works. For the last four months, despite being deliberately excluded from any stakeholdering process on Nelson’s policy to gut the PayUp ordinance, workers have shown up at city hall to urge the council to protect minimum wage after expenses for all time worked, hold a meaningful stakeholdering process, and listen to workers. This abrupt delay is a sign that workers are gaining momentum.
Two: cutting low-wage workers’ wages is extremely unpopular and poor economic policy-making; Council President Nelson simply doesn’t have the support from her colleagues or the public to pass this pay cut into law.
Ultimately, this sudden change of plans reveals what workers already knew to be true: raising wages is good for Seattle, and cutting wages is supported by no one but app corporations. And those corporations dumped hundreds of thousands of dollars into trying to mislead the public and lobbying councilmembers with the message that cutting workers’ pay is somehow good for workers, only to find out that the home of the Fight for $15 is true to its values. We all know that all Seattle workers deserve a living wage.
Comments from workers are included below. Contact Hannah Sabio-Howell to arrange an interview.
From Nick Lawrence, an UberEats, DoorDash, Instacart, and Roadie worker: “PayUp has meant I no longer have to work 60-hour weeks to get by. Without standards, gig work is a race to the bottom. I’ve been heartbroken watching city council move forward a corporate proposal to cut pay, but hundreds of gig workers have spoken out against the pay cut, and it looks like it’s working. I’m glad to see city council is finally listening, and I’m glad to have more time under the current pay standard so I can continue working a normal schedule.“
From Troy Donald, an UberEats and DoorDash delivery worker: “After minimum gig worker pay came out, I was making great money. Then Uber and DoorDash came out and said they want to cut the pay – so they can go back to paying $3 for orders that charge $20 in fees. Gig workers have been making it very clear: cutting our pay is not a solution to apps choosing to charge outrageous fees. And now it looks like city council is actually listening. It’s awesome to know that fellow drivers and supporters have slowed Sara Nelson’s progress.”
From Elena Martin, an Instacart worker: “I’m beyond excited that the vote is being postponed. I believe Sara Nelson may have thought it would be easy to make this change and that us gig workers wouldn’t care. I’m glad enough of us have shown up and participated in opposing this proposal that she is now seeing just how many of us this will affect and how many of us do care.”
From Mupopa Tshibuabua, an UberEats worker: “It’s important for workers that we keep the pay standard in place because now we can take every single job and it’s worth it. We can’t let Uber and DoorDash go back to paying $3 a job. As a driver, I certainly want to see struggling restaurants succeed. These restaurants should focus on corporate greed rather than equally struggling drivers as their obstacle to success. The postponement of today’s vote is a good sign for workers – let’s hope the council is taking the necessary time to reconsider the proposal clearly advocated by the lobbyists.”
From Justin Taylor, a DoorDash worker: “Sara Nelson wanted to rush her bill through city council because reducing pay for workers in Seattle is hugely unpopular, and she knows it. But because workers and their supporters showed up in opposition – and will continue to show up – there is now an opportunity for our voices to be heard. I’m hopeful the vote delay means that city council will engage in a true stakeholder process with the gig workers like myself who are directly affected by this bill.”
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