On July 06, 2023 a
Exhibit,Appendix
was filed
involving a dispute between
Uber Technologies, Inc.,
and
New York City Department Of Consumer And Worker Protection,
The City Of New York,
Vilda Vera Mayuga
In Her Official Capacity As Commissioner Of The New York City Department Of Consumer And Worker Protection,
for Special Proceedings - CPLR Article 78
in the District Court of New York County.
Preview
FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 07/06/2023 10:16 AM INDEX NO. 155943/2023
NYSCEF DOC. NO. 41 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 07/06/2023
Exhibit 39
FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 07/06/2023 10:16 AM INDEX NO. 155943/2023
NYSCEFBROOKLYN
DOC. NO. 41 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 07/06/2023
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
TESTIMONY TO THE NYC DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AND WORKER PROTECTION
As President and CEO of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, I am writing to encourage the Department of
Consumer and Worker Protection to consider revisions to the proposed rule that would establish a minimum
pay rate for app-based restaurant delivery workers. The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce is the borough’s
leading economic development organization, and serves its members through promotion, support,
advocacy, and its convening authority to build and maintain a healthy and robust business environment
throughout Brooklyn.
The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce broadly supports establishing reasonable minimum pay standards for
food delivery workers, who have long provided an important service to New York City — particularly during
the pandemic when they helped the restaurant industry survive. However, we have serious concerns that
the way the City’s current proposal is constructed will lead to significant additional costs associated with
delivery likely to be passed on to businesses and consumers. These increased costs may drive down orders
from local restaurants, bringing a sudden decline in revenue at a time when record inflation and rising costs
are already putting pressure on small businesses. This is especially concerning for our organization given
the impact it could have on restaurants in our borough.
The proposed rule would impose first-of-its-kind requirements on platforms to start paying delivery workers
based on all the time they have an app open, rather than just when they are making deliveries. Paying for
time these workers have an app open fails to consider how these platforms are actually used in practice,
with workers able to choose which deliveries they accept, and many workers logged on to multiple apps at
once and would force platforms to reconsider how they operate to offset these higher costs. The unfortunate
reality is that, as noted in the City’s own study on the issue, delivery services may ultimately end up being
greatly limited in less busy areas like those outside Manhattan.
Many businesses in our community depend on delivery to connect with their customers and cannot afford
platforms reducing or eliminating service altogether in areas like ours. For those restaurants like those in
Brooklyn that may not have the same volume of daily delivery requests as busier parts of the city, the results
could be especially harmful. As a result, while well-intentioned, the consequences from the current version
of this proposal will be felt by small businesses and consumers throughout New York City.
Given these concerns, we encourage the Department to strike the proper balance so that these services
remain accessible for all and help contribute to growing our local economy. Most notably, the proposed rule
should be revised to ensure that the pay rate applies to time more comparable to work time rather than all
time that a food delivery worker has the app open. Delivery provides a crucial service connecting small
businesses, workers and New Yorkers who use it. While it is important to ensure these workers are making
a fair wage, we are respectfully asking the DWCP to carefully consider the potential impacts of the rule as it
stands and to make changes to ensure that the rule will not harm businesses in New York City.
Respectfully submitted:
Randy Peers
President & CEO
December 14, 2022
1564
253 36th Street, Mailbox Unit: 17 T: (718) 875 – 1000 www.brooklynchamber.com
Brooklyn, NY 11232 F: (718) 222 – 0781 info@brooklynchamber.com
Document Filed Date
July 06, 2023
Case Filing Date
July 06, 2023
Category
Special Proceedings - CPLR Article 78
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