Los Deliveristas: How Latino Delivery Drivers Became a Powerful Collective in New York (And What They’ve Achieved)

When Gustavo Ajche saw that there were not dozens, but hundreds of food delivery people with their bicycles gathered at a protest in New York, he remembers being very excited.

It was October 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic was at one of its most critical moments.

Many Latino immigrants They could not stay at home to workAt the behest of the authorities, they had to risk their health on the streets of the Big Apple to sustain their economic status. And the food delivery people were going through hardships besides health.

They were protesting the insecurity they were experiencing on the desolate streets of New York as a result of their imprisonment. Their electric bicycles, worth more than $2,000, and their batteries several hundred dollars more, were targets of criminals.

“During the epidemic there were many attacks on deserted streets,” says Ajche, who immigrated from Guatemala in 2004.

“In less than a week we held our first show in New York City. I expected 60 or 70 workers, but about 400 turned up. I said ‘Wow!’, the work we did had an impact,” he explains to BBC Mundo.

After that big demonstration, these workers — mostly Latino, but also from black and Asian communities — caught the attention of the authorities and achieved something that is very difficult for immigrants to do in the United States: Forms a rights protection group that functions almost like a union.

They call him “United Deliveristas”corresponding to the word in English Delivery (“Delivery”) to your name. And since there were a few hundred they became Over 60,000 members Currently.

“During the pandemic, a brotherhood was created among the workers. The Latino community that does this work is very supportive and that’s what makes the difference in the city,” says Ajche proudly.

And since then they have achieved something unthinkable for other Latinos, many of whom are limited by being undocumented: that the government guarantees them as basic as labor rights. A minimum hourly wage, access to a bathroom and a guarantee that they get their tips.

And now they’re in the fray with big food delivery apps, viz Uber Eats and DoorDash

Those who demand that there should be more transparency and respect for their acquired labor rights.

However, the platform warns that recent changes – such as the minimum wage that went into effect at the end of 2023 – are negatively impacting costs for consumers, restaurants and, ultimately, delivery workers.

Food delivery has been a part of New York City life for decades.

But the arrival Mobile applications Online ordering started this type of commerce. Customers can more easily order from distant restaurants than from neighborhood pizzerias.

and delivery drivers can access Flexible employment: “If you wanted to work, you worked, and if you didn’t, you didn’t. There was great flexibility,” Ajche recalls.

However, it is a more difficult task than it seems. Delivery drivers who ride bicycles face the risk of being hit by cars and trucks on the streets, or in the heat or heavy snowfall every season.

“The ones that are always appreciated are the firefighters, the police, for being there on strong weather days. And I said ‘why not the delivery workers, if they’re bringing food to people every day’,” explains Ajche.

2020 saw another radical change in business with the introduction of electric bicycles in the city, allowing them to go further than they could pedal with their feet.

It was a critical moment, even with the pandemic and many office workers in the city went to work from home and ordered food at home.

But the delivery man They had no choice More than living on the street.

That’s when things started to get complicated, as the city streets were empty, they started being targeted by criminals who stole their bicycles.

Gustavo Ajche left Totonicpan, a division in western Guatemala, at the age of 20. He came to New York in 2004 and quickly got a job at a pizzeria, where he did “everything” including delivering food.

Like others, he saw an opportunity to improve his income with apps in the middle of the last decade, and then expressed interest in participating in the eponymous organization. Labor Justice Project.

There he learned about labor rights, which are often something undocumented migrants are unaware of because they avoid meeting with authorities.

“The leadership training and approach empowered me as a person and I said, ‘No, it’s true, you don’t have to be afraid, if you’re an immigrant or anywhere, you can fight, you can fight and you can’t be, that Doesn’t matter. Scared,'” says Ajche.

That is why, in October 2020, when a small protest was staged by delivery workers, Ajche decided to actively help build a much larger group of “victims of injustice” workers.

“Workers had accidents, workers got sick, there was no one to advocate for them,” he recalls.

Since that massive protest on October 15, 2020, United DeliveristasAt first there were only a few who communicated via WhatsApp to give each other warnings, support or advice on the route.

Ajche highlights the fraternity of deliveristas. Migrants of African origin who speak French, or people from Southeast Asia have also joined the group to care for each other.

“It’s nice to see the city from corner to corner. You also guide the tourists. Sometimes we get a chance to climb skyscrapers without paying, like tourists. And we take some time to admire the city from above,” remains Vada.

“There are good moments, but also bad. Discrimination against workers.

Or that platform sometimes seems like the worker is to blame for many things, but is a mediator. You feel stressed as a worker. The customer doesn’t know and starts applying pressure,” he says.

“Sometimes they say the order is ready when they haven’t even started cooking it. Those are the things that frustrate the worker.”

The group’s pressure and efforts in favor of their labor rights led New York City Council authorities to initiate a hearing process in their favor.

Thanks to the fact that Deliveristas Unidos continued to grow in number and formed a large group of delivery people, they conducted a survey to find out their needs.

Until then, they were not allowed to use the bathrooms of the restaurants they served. They didn’t even have thermal bags to keep the food safe. The delivery of tips from app customers was not transparent. and think Hourly minimum wageAs with every job in the US, there was an illusion.

It was those demands that were certainly raised and, to the surprise of the “Deliverists”, they were heard by the Municipal Council.

AndIn October 2021, they approved these demandsIncluding a minimum payment of US$17.89 per hour worked, which is higher than the New York State base wage.

“In record time, the legislative package was a reality,” says Ajche proudly.

The city has also generally created or widened lanes for cyclists, which has made their work easier by not exposing themselves to the flow of traffic causing fatal accidents.

“We have it sorted A high risk job During the last three years we have data which About 20 workers die each year, mostly Latinos” explains the group leader.

“When the platform hires you as an independent worker, they clean their hands of everything. If something happens to you, you’re on your own with the costs, the recovery. That’s why we’re fighting so that one day this job is treated. .What it is “It’s fair to treat people with dignity,” he argues.

As much as they have achieved, they are yet to claim the victory they desire.

The group believes that platforms such as Uber Eats or DoorDash have not complied with some of the new rules, despite the fact that post-pandemic commerce has returned to its regular course.

“They haven’t accepted,” complains the leader of Deliveristas Unidos.

The main question is about Schemes and algorithms that the application uses to calculate working hours And how that translates into minimum hourly pay.

“Using a calculator, it doesn’t add work time to the payment received,” says Ajche.

“Minimum wage came into effect on December 4, 2023, but companies are not accepting easily. They are changing payment methods. They are taking a hostile attitude to make people believe that minimum wage is something that does not benefit the worker,” he said. . complains.

Uber Eats and DoorDash noted that groups like Deliveristas Unidos didn’t understand how hourly pay worked.

In a statement sent to BBC Mundo, an Uber Eats spokesperson said, “Workers are not compensated individually for on-call time (without orders). Workers are paid individually for travel time, only collectively for the time they are on-call. is compensated.”

DoorDash sure is there “Detrimental Impact” to “Extreme Minimum Payment Rules”. Which is affecting users, workers and restaurants.

According to the company, there have been 200,000 fewer orders in recent weeks.

“We look forward to finding a path forward with responsible politicians that will allow us to continue to better serve the communities of New York City,” a DoorDash spokesperson said.

Given this, Ajche says it seems illogical to take a loss given the profit reports these companies generate every year.

“Applications are dropping because of the algorithm they use, which only benefits them and not the worker. It’s an algorithm that’s broken, I’d say,” he points out.

However, it celebrates that some Invisible workers Until long ago, and they employed without minimum guarantee, Now get organized and fight for their rights before local authorities and large US corporations.

“We look like a confederation, but we are not a confederation. We have achieved many things because of how we have proceeded,” says Ajche proudly.

“That’s why we’re fighting so that one day this job is recognized for what it is. It’s only fair that people are treated with respect.”

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