arrow left
arrow right
  • Uber Technologies, Inc. v. New York City Department Of Consumer And Worker Protection, Vilda Vera Mayuga in her official capacity as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, The City Of New YorkSpecial Proceedings - CPLR Article 78 document preview
  • Uber Technologies, Inc. v. New York City Department Of Consumer And Worker Protection, Vilda Vera Mayuga in her official capacity as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, The City Of New YorkSpecial Proceedings - CPLR Article 78 document preview
  • Uber Technologies, Inc. v. New York City Department Of Consumer And Worker Protection, Vilda Vera Mayuga in her official capacity as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, The City Of New YorkSpecial Proceedings - CPLR Article 78 document preview
  • Uber Technologies, Inc. v. New York City Department Of Consumer And Worker Protection, Vilda Vera Mayuga in her official capacity as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, The City Of New YorkSpecial Proceedings - CPLR Article 78 document preview
						
                                

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