SEATTLE — The Seattle City Council was scheduled to vote on revisions to an ordinance that went into effect in January that raised pay for app-based delivery workers. At the last minute, the Seattle City Council decided to delay that vote due to wanting more time to review potential amendments and have more time to decide on changes.
The original ordinance that raised the pay was passed by the former council, of which six of the nine current council members were not a part.
The changes to the PayUp Ordinance that the council was set to vote on would have decreased pay for app-based delivery workers from around $26 per hour to just below $20 per hour. It also would decrease their pay per mile driven, among other things.
Some people thought the last-minute change was unprofessional.
“I'm sure a lot of people had to change their schedules and worked around this to come here because it's very important,” said Alex Kim, who has been an app-based delivery driver for five years.
The ordinance that raised the drivers’ pay went into effect in January. Some drivers say the increase has been beneficial and is needed. They said they saw a slight dip in orders when the ordinance first passed and consumers saw additional fees by companies, but that now they are making more money.
“In general, there was like kind of maybe a dip, but like, I've just seen it go up and up and up ever since then, and I'm making more money than ever now, and the business seems really good, I would say, for most drivers as well,” said Kim.
But not all drivers feel this way. Since the pay increase resulted in companies like Uber Eats and DoorDash adding more fees for consumers, some delivery drivers said that resulted in fewer orders from customers and less money for them.
"Negotiate the best deal that will eliminate the $5 fee and the market will return sales to restaurants and income to delivery workers will explode,” said one delivery driver who spoke at public comment to the councilmembers. “I am certain of this because it was working before the bill, most of us were making double what we are currently."
DoorDash and Uber Eats said they are in favor of the proposed changes to the ordinance.
According to DoorDash, merchants earned $7 million less over a six-week period, and consumers placed 300,000 fewer orders through February and March.
It is uncertain when a vote will happen.