Where to reach gig workers & how to connect

Online

There are Facebook groups out there for basically every single app — it’s useful if you join groups for other apps you work for, or groups that are in your local area. If you’re joining groups that are specific to certain apps, you may be asked when you join whether you work for the app — feel free to let them know you don’t work on that particular app, but you’re a fellow gig worker trying to connect with other workers.

There are also “subreddits” on Reddit for most apps, and you can find workers by searching for app names on Twitter too.

Rather than spamming the groups with links, focus on targeted outreach to specific people in the groups. If you see someone in a group complaining about tips being taken or sharing a screenshot that shows low pay, it’s a good opportunity to start up a conversation by asking if they see a lot of jobs like that or letting them know

In real life

You can also strike up conversations with workers IRL — fellow Instacart shoppers in the stores, food delivery workers (like Postmates, DoorDash, and more) you may run into at restaurants, even workers for apps you yourself use as a customer!

Starting up these conversations can be intimidating at first, but most people are incredibly receptive to having them — after all, the nature of “gig work” keeps us isolated, and connecting to coworkers can be empowering. People generally want to have these conversations. Think about how you might start them up — ask about how the batch they’re shopping is going, ask if they work for an app, or even just introduce yourself and let them know you’re working on a campaign for gig workers’ rights.

When you’re talking to workers IRL, keep in mind that you need to give them a way to plug in. Which brings us to the next key point…