Would you kick in an extra 10 cents on a DoorDash order to make sure the delivery worker is getting paid what they’re legally owed? Most customers of platform services would probably be happy to spend that dime. After all, all we’ve done is press a button on a phone in order for someone to bring whatever we want to our doorstep, no matter the weather. For people who are elderly or have disabilities, these services are a lifeline; for most customers, it’s an incredibly privileged position. And a worker makes it happen.
Would you kick in an extra 10 cents on a DoorDash order to make sure the delivery worker is getting paid what they’re legally owed? Most customers of platform services would probably be happy to spend that dime. After all, all we’ve done is press a button on a phone in order for someone to bring whatever we want to our doorstep, no matter the weather. For people who are elderly or have disabilities, these services are a lifeline; for most customers, it’s an incredibly privileged position. And a worker makes it happen.
It’s somewhat astonishing, then, that gig companies appear to be fighting a proposed Seattle ordinance that would impose a 10-cent fee on app orders to cover enforcement of the city’s groundbreaking laws protecting gig delivery workers. The proposal is on the agenda of the Seattle City Council’s Select Budget Committee on Wednesday, along with a raft of potential amendments generally aimed at weakening the bill. …