Council Member Tiffany Cabán Introduces Delivery Protection Act Alongside Teamsters and Allies
September 25, 2025
New York City
On Thursday, September 25th, NYC Council Member Tiffany Cabán rallied with 100+ Teamsters, community members, elected officials, and labor allies, including Thomas Gesualdi, President of Teamsters Joint Council 16, Comptroller Brad Lander, and Chair of the Committee on Civil Service and Labor Carmen De La Rosa to celebrate the introduction of the Delivery Protection Act, which would enforce safe workplaces for last mile delivery and warehouse workers and improve street safety for all New Yorkers.
“For too long, companies like Amazon have gotten away with terrible conditions in their last mile facilities, while using subcontractors to dodge responsibility for unsafe delivery conditions and dangerous streets,” said Council Member Tiffany Cabán. “The Delivery Protection Act will end that charade. It forces these companies to take responsibility for the conditions their delivery services create, and treat delivery workers as the essential workers they are, not as disposable labor. This bill is a game-changer for workers in New York and for every city fighting to hold corporate giants accountable. We’re proud to stand with the Teamsters in the fight for accountability, safety, and fairness."
“We are here today because this legislation will protect our members at Amazon and make our streets safer for everyone,” added Thomas Gesualdi, President of Teamsters Joint Council 16. “Because when a driver is forced to drive a van with malfunctioning equipment, that’s not safe for anybody. And when a trillion-dollar company uses middle-men to dodge responsibility for the workers wearing its uniforms, that’s not safe for anybody either. Teamsters Joint Council 16, backed by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, fully supports the Delivery Protection Act. I am grateful to have the Central Labor Council’s support as we push to pass it this year. I want to thank Council Member Tiffany Cabán for sponsoring this important bill and working with our union to raise standards in this industry.”
“Major delivery corporations should be held to the highest labor standards. For far too long, harmful practices have put workers at risk, misled consumers, and undermined accountability. I thank Council Member Tiffany Cabán for partnering with labor allies and stakeholders to introduce the Delivery Protection Act, which will ensure safer conditions for workers and strengthen consumers' retail experience,” said Council Member Julie Menin, Chair of the Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection.
"Big corporations continue to attempt to circumvent worker safety for profit. Earlier this year, we lost a worker at a fulfillment facility, raising longstanding concerns around workplace safety at Amazon worksites. Every worker in our city deserves to go home to their families at the end of a shift, uninjured and alive, and corporations should be held accountable for making New Yorkers less safe. As the Chair of the Committee on Civil Service and Labor, we've been committed to giving workers additional tools to address unscrupulous practices and advance labor protections, and we are proud to support the Delivery Protection Act sponsored by Council Member Cabán," said Council Member Carmen De La Rosa.
“We need clear rules of the road to protect last-mile delivery workers, keep families safe on our streets, and uphold the right of every New Yorker to fair working conditions,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. “I'm proud to support Council Member Cabán's Delivery Protection Act to ensure that the City of New York can protect workers’ rights, promote safe streets, and hold Amazon and last-mile delivery companies accountable for how they treat their drivers and impact our communities.”
“I wear an Amazon uniform, drive an Amazon truck, and deliver Amazon packages. But Amazon wants to profit off my labor without having the responsibilities any other employer has,” said Lamont Hopewell, an Amazon driver and Teamsters Local 804 member at the DBK4 warehouse. “The Delivery Protection Act will stop Amazon’s abusive business practices and make our communities safer. The New York City Council needs to pass this important legislation.”
“By reining in the shady practices big corporations like Amazon use to evade accountability for endangering their employees, polluting our air, and flooding city streets with dangerous truck traffic, New York City can set a new standard for worker and environmental justice,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “The Delivery Protection Act is an essential safety measure that alongside the city’s Indirect Source Rule legislation and Last-Mile Text Amendment can begin to safeguard our communities from the harms of last-mile facilities. Thank you to Council Member Cabán for championing safe streets and fair labor practices.”
“Our Amazon boxes should come with a warning: two-day shipping made possible by exploiting workers and endangering communities. Last mile facilities have popped up all over NYC, wreaking havoc on street safety, public health, and basic workers’ rights. It’s time to take back control of our city. We’re proud to stand with Council Member Cabán to support the Delivery Protection Act; demand safe, fair labor standards; and protect New Yorkers over corporate profits,” said Theodore A. Moore, ALIGN Executive Director.
“Amazon, which is one of the richest companies in the world, works around the clock to exploit their huge workforce,” said Council Member Alexa Avilés. “They make use of shell subcontractors to circumvent worker protections and dodge responsibility for unsafe workplaces. That’s because last mile warehouses are extremely dangerous. Amazon is afraid of workers fighting together to protect themselves. This bill would require Amazon to employ workers directly and prevent retaliation against them. When we talk about fighting for better worker protections, we cannot ignore Amazon, who are an industry giant and use that power to their advantage constantly. I'm proud to stand along with my colleagues and the Teamsters to put workers before profit.”
“For too long, giant corporations like Amazon have treated our neighborhoods as dumping grounds and our workers as disposable. They flood our streets with unsafe vans, pollute our communities, and then wash their hands of responsibility by hiding behind subcontractors,” said City Council Member Christopher Marte. “The Delivery Protection Act ends this exploitation. It makes sure the workers who keep our city moving are treated with dignity and fairness, and it finally holds corporations accountable for the dangers they’ve created on our streets. I’m proud to stand with my colleagues and our labor allies in saying: enough is enough.”
“Jeff Bezos has made his billions off the backs of vulnerable, low-wage workers,” said Council Member Sandy Nurse. “The introduction of Council Member Cabán’s Delivery Protection Act sends a clear message to all of these greedy companies: enough of the exploitation. No more hiding behind shell subcontractors. You will not get away with abusing workers or making our streets more dangerous.”
"I'm proud to sponsor Council Member Tiffany Cabán's Delivery Protection Act, which holds big delivery corporations accountable, increases worker protections, and ends shell "subcontractor" drivers. It's long past time that we end the unfair labor practices of "Delivery Service Partners" and increase the accountability that big companies like Amazon should have for their workers' safety. This legislation creates safer New York streets and empowers our city's Last Mile delivery system,” said Council Member Shekar Krishnan.
“As last mile delivery continues to expand, we need to make sure that our streets and our workers are safe, and that companies like Amazon are held accountable to our streets as workplaces. Last mile drivers deserve protections and training to keep them and other New Yorkers safe from the high rates of serious injuries that plague the delivery industry,” shared Elizabeth Adams, Deputy Director of Public Affairs at Transportation Alternatives.
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