Council hearing spotlights calls for deactivation protections for app-based delivery workers

New York City Council members heard extensive testimony at a Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection hearing on Intro 13-32, a bill that would limit "wrongful" deactivation of app-based delivery workers and create a formal appeals process.

The measure, sponsored by Council member Justin Bridle, would require platforms to publish deactivation policies, engage in progressive discipline and provide notice and appeal rights before permanently removing a worker’s ability to accept deliveries. Supporters framed the bill as a complement to the city’s minimum-pay rules for delivery workers; company representatives warned it could hamper fraud prevention and public-safety responses.

Why it matters: Delivery workers testified that sudden deactivations cut off their primary source of income and can cause immediate financial hardship. City staff told council members the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) has recorded hundreds of delivery-related complaints in recent years and that effective enforcement could require additional agency staffing and new procedures.

DCWP testimony and enforcement capacity A DCWP official told the committee that the agency lacks a dedicated complaint code for deactivation cases but conducted a manual review that turned up "upwards of 180 complaints" over the past two years related to deactivation. The official said deactivations are often presented to the agency as "financially devastating for workers," and noted…