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The high-stakes dispute over a City Council bill that would fundamentally reshape the relationship Amazon has with tens of thousands of last-mile delivery workers in the city was shown in stark relief on Thursday when workers and employers held two simultaneous rallies just before the bill was subject to its first hearing.
On one side of City Hall stood dozens of Amazon workers and Teamsters Local 804 members, who have pushed for the Council to pass legislation sponsored by Queens Council Member Tiffany Cabán that would force Amazon to abandon its model of employing workers through third-party contractors. The Delivery Protection Act, introduced last year, would mandate Amazon and other large warehouse and delivery companies directly employ their workers, instead of utilizing delivery service providers, as the e-commerce giant does across the country.
The legislation would make it easier for workers to unionize, protect them from retaliatory firings and would make Amazon directly responsible for worker safety, its advocates say. Teamsters' leadership showed up to their rally with a massive inflatable pig, a hallmark of their demonstrations, that was faced squarely at the opposing rally held feet away.
Passing the bill is personal for the former and current workers at Amazon’s massive DBK4 facility in Maspeth Queens. Workers there unionized with Teamsters Local 804 in September 2024 and held a brief strike there during Amazon’s holiday rush in December that slowed deliveries and led to the arrest of several workers.
On Aug. 20, 2025, a year after workers unionized, Amazon suddenly cancelled the contract of Cornucopia Logistics A, a DSP hired by Amazon to facilitate deliveries out of the DBK4 facility. As a result of the cancelled contract, 105 workers, many of whom outwardly supported the union, lost their jobs, in a move that the Teamsters’ labeled as clear union busting.
Latrice Johnson, one of the workers fired as a result of that contract cancellation, told The Chief a day before the hearing on the bill that it was a “relief” it was finally advancing through the hearing process.
“This right here is exciting,” she said. “This would be a big part of the start of Amazon having to answer all of the things that they're doing. They won't be able to get away with it as much."
Just on the other side of the wrought-iron fence from the Amazon Teamsters, on the steps of City Hall, delivery employers and bosses rallied with some of their workers against the bill, arguing it would drive up costs for consumers, threaten the small business model of delivery service providers and lead to job losses for thousands of workers.
In addition to Amazon, a broad coalition of employer-advocates, under the umbrella group of New York Delivers, has mobilized against the bill. NYD, backed by chambers of commerce for every borough and several DSPs, provided bus rides and round-trip Uber vouchers for those who wanted to testify against the bill, according to an NYD presentation obtained by The Chief.
The coalition presented both workers and business owners to testify, attempting to show that there were a number of people opposed to the measure. One DSP owner from California who's contract with Amazon was cancelled after he recognized the union that his employees formed, testified in support of the bill.
Amazon, in written testimony submitted to the Council, pointed out that their DSP model supports small businesses, and argued that delivery workers employed by DSP’s delivering Amazon packages, in Amazon gear and in Amazon vans are paid well and have a safe workplace.
“We're committed to creating good jobs, supporting our thousands of employees and local small business partners in New York City, and providing fast, affordable delivery in a safe working environment,” the testimony reads. “As written, [the Delivery Protection Act] would directly undermine that commitment, threatening the more than 40 Delivery Service Partners we work with in New York City every day and putting the jobs of their more than 5,000 employees at risk. It would also force us to consider relocating delivery operations outside of the city.”
The high turnout from supporters and opponents of the legislation created a tense environment inside the hearing room, where either side responded to council member questions or statements with cheers and boos. Representatives from the city’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, the office of Comptroller Mark Levine and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso all testified in support of the legislation.
The Delivery Protection Act will have to be subject a second hearing before it can come to a vote. Getting the first hearing was a challenge for advocates of the bill
Former City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams blocked a hearing on the bill last year, a Council source told The Chief at the time, but current Speaker Julie Menin allowed the hearing this week to be scheduled and held
Johnson expressed hope for the legislation and said that workers in New York City and across the country are “tired” of Amazon.
"It's a great thing that it is starting here and I really do truly believe it can spread to other states,” she said.
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