This week, the National Urban League backed New York City delivery workers and business owners in their fight against a proposed City Council bill that would change how last-mile delivery companies operate in the city.
In his open letter to the City Council, National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial says the legislation, Intro. 518, could hurt Black businesses, lead to thousands of job losses and raise consumer costs.
“We believe that the legislation ... will have a negative effect and cause thousands of jobs to be lost, increasing the racial wealth gap and raising costs for consumers at every turn,” Morial said.
The bill would ban large companies like Amazon from using independent contractors for last-mile delivery in the city.
According to the National Urban League, 80 percent of workers affected by the legislation are minorities and 25 percent of delivery business owners are Black. The group said the bill could eliminate as many as 10,000 jobs.
The issue is personal for business owner Tybrey Barnes.
Barnes’ resume includes 25 years at Con Edison before he left to start Northstar Logistics in the Bronx. The company is part of a small-business coalition that moves products from warehouses to customers.
Barnes’ company gives workers a financial and career path beyond working behind the wheel. He pays at least $23.75 an hour and provides health benefits and a 401(k). He covers fees for employees who want to take civil service tests or go back to school. Former employees have gone on to jobs with the MTA, NYPD and other employers.
Barnes believes moving delivery operations to New Jersey, Long Island or Westchester would put jobs out of reach for many of his workers, particularly those in the outer boroughs who rely on public transportation.
“It would basically be all of my employees,” Barnes said when asked who could be affected if the bill passes.
Outside the workplace, Barnes’ business has become a source of support amid an affordability crisis in underserved communities. Each Sunday, he provides a meal for his employees, who continue to call him for help with housing, transportation and job applications.
Julissa Alvarez, owner of Brimela Routes Corp., shares a similar concern. After leaving her career in higher education, Alvarez launched her company, which oversees more than 200 workers. Many are immigrants, college students, older workers and parents who need flexible schedules.
“We work with human beings, not just a Social Security number,” Alvarez said.
Alvarez’s company donates about $20,000 a year to school supply efforts and organizations supporting women who have experienced domestic violence and children who have been abused.
Intro. 518 remains pending in the City Council’s Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection. A hearing was held in April.
Supporters of the bill say direct employment would give delivery workers stronger protections and hold major delivery companies more directly responsible for working conditions. Opponents, including New York Delivers and the business owners, say the bill could eliminate locally owned delivery companies and reduce access to jobs in the communities where those companies operate.
The National Urban League’s position adds a civil rights group to a debate that has largely focused on labor policy. Morial’s letter says the City Council should consider how the bill could affect Black-owned businesses and workers before moving forward.
“Don’t stop my life’s work,” Barnes said when asked what he would say to the City Council. “This is something that I felt as though I was built for. This is where I need to be. I’m an asset to my people, and we need more people like me in this space.”
Michael Ceraso is a communications strategist and founder of Winning Margins. He works with political leaders, business owners and advocacy organizations on media outreach and local storytelling, connecting public policy debates to the people affected by them. He also founded Community Groundwork, a nonprofit that helps community college students build careers in politics, communications and public service.
