NYC mayor backs law forcing Amazon to hire delivery couriers instead of contractors

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has thrown his support behind the Delivery Protection Act, a bill that would force major retailers to replace contract couriers with regular employees for last-mile deliveries. The measure, introduced in the City Council several months ago, targets the final leg of package journeys, where Amazon and other high-volume companies heavily rely on outside contractors.

Under the proposal, delivery operations would require a new license, and couriers would have to be hired as permanent staff rather than gig workers. In a video statement released Thursday, Mamdani argued that Amazon controls how and when deliveries are made across the city but avoids liability for on-the-job incidents because drivers are contractors. "If Amazon is delivering your packages, they should follow the same rules of every other delivery company," he said.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a bill supporter, says the rules would make big firms accountable for service quality and give couriers better pay and benefits. Opponents, including Amazon, warn of higher costs and slower deliveries for customers. They also suggest that companies with massive logistics networks could move distribution centers out of New York City to dodge the added regulation.