ALIGN

On Cyber Monday, Labor Coalition Calls on Governor Hochul and
Speaker Adams to Stand Up for Amazon Workers

New Yorkers for a Fair Economy coalition calls for a vote on the Delivery Protection Act and stronger enforcement of the Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act

NEW YORK, NY – On Cyber Monday and as the holiday shopping season ramps up, Theodore A. Moore, ALIGN Executive Director and leader of the New Yorkers for a Fair Economy coalition released the following statement:

“For Amazon workers, the holiday shopping season means forced overtime, relentless demand, and severe, sometimes life-altering injuries to meet speed quotas in unsafe workplaces. It’s those workers who spiked profits to $21.2 billion last quarter, up 38% from last year, which Amazon repaid with tens of thousands of layoffs and a never-ending union-busting campaign.

“But we give Amazon too much credit when we call them a villain. Amazon is just a parasite, and their survival depends on the workers they abuse and exploit and the consumers whose business they monopolize — all while the state turns a blind eye to their crimes. We have the power to change the conditions, and we can start by demanding accountability from our elected officials. Governor Hochul and her Department of Labor must deliver on the Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act and set strict benchmarks for employers to follow the law alongside proactive worker education. Speaker Adams must call a hearing for the Delivery Protection Act and bring it to a vote, protecting New York City last-mile delivery and warehouse workers with safe, fair labor standards. And we will keep standing with Amazon workers to tip the scales in the fight for safe work, fair wages, and a voice on the job.”

Background

• 1 in 11 NY warehouse workers are injured annually and NY’s warehouse worker injury rate is 54% higher than the national average. Amazon workers are injured at an even higher rate — 37% more often than workers at non-Amazon facilities.

• Last mile warehouse and package delivery workers have the highest estimated rate of serious injury among private sector industries in NYC. On average, almost four in 100 full-time workers experienced serious injury in 2022.

• Last Mile facilities are usually packed into just a few neighborhoods, bringing pollution, traffic violence, and safety risks, and relying on underpaid, unsafe, unstable jobs subcontracted to fake “third parties” to evade accountability.

As of June 1, 2025, the Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act establishes:

• Annual safety expert evaluations of large warehouses across New York State (defined as 100 or more employees at a single warehouse or 1,000 or more employees at multiple warehouses) for potential risks of injury

• Consistent safety standards across New York warehouses

• Improved training

• On-site medical care from qualified providers

Download our Know Your Rights resource.

The Delivery Protection Act (Intro 1396), under consideration by the New York City Council, would:

• Require Last Mile delivery centers to have a license so the City can hold them accountable

• Require companies to directly employ their drivers, ending the shell “subcontractors” (also known as “Delivery Service Partners”) who aren’t really independent

• Make companies responsible for driver safety

• Protect workers from unfair firing and retaliation when they speak up

• Mandate real safety training through independent groups to make sure workers know their rights and how to stay safe

• Empower the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection to enforce the law.

• Currently has a supermajority of sponsors in the City Council

About New Yorkers for a Fair Economy
New Yorkers for a Fair Economy (NYFE) is a coalition of labor unions, small businesses, and immigrant and community organizations uniting to safeguard our state from the abusive practices of big corporations and achieve an economy that works for all New Yorkers. NYFE is led by ALIGN (Alliance for a Greater New York) and includes labor unions Teamsters Joint Council 16 and Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union; community groups like New York Communities for Change and New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health; and research and advocacy organizations like National Employment Law Project and Strategic Organizing Center, among others.

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