More than 90 delivery workers claim DoorDash stole their wages

Earlier this year, the city implemented a historic one minimum wage law for app-based delivery drivers, increasing wages from average $5.39 per hour before tips up to a minimum of $17.96 per hour before tips. Although the law has seen some success, workers are still sounding the alarm about persistent patterns of wage theft.

About 50 delivery people organize themselves together with the Worker Justice Project (WJP) protested outside DoorDash’s headquarters in Manhattan on Wednesday morning, demanding that the company pay employees their unpaid wages.

Also read: Labor complaints in NYC increase 260% as delivery workers Pipe Fight for fair wages

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According to WJP, 95 DoorDash delivery drivers have filed claims with the New York Department of Consumer and Employee Protection (DCWP), who claims that DoorDash failed to pay them their back wages after they were deactivated from the platform, and that they violated the city’s minimum wage law for delivery workers.

WJP said DoorDash delivery drivers have been seeking their help since 2020. In total, WJP claims DoorDash owes workers $78,569 in unpaid wages. Despite their efforts to seek mediation from the company, WJP says DoorDash ignored them, forcing them to file complaints with DCWP last year.

In a statement, DCWP press secretary Michael Lanza said they are investigating the claims and urged others with questions or complaints to come forward as soon as possible.

In February, Documented was the first to report that delivery drivers have filed more than 500 complaints with DCWP regarding violations of the minimum wage law. The story prompted WJP to investigate further claims, they said.

Longtime DoorDash employee Juan Iturbide, 40, says DoorDash owes him a significant amount of money and has repeatedly tried to get his unpaid wages back. Iturbide, an immigrant from Mexico, said he worked for DoorDash for five years and that the company owes him $1,500 after he was deactivated in November 2021. He filed his case with DCWP in 2023.

“Delivery work is one of the most dangerous jobs in the city,” he said. “Besides risking our lives, we don’t have to worry about being robbed by such a rich company. We deserve to be paid for the service we provide.”

Another employee, Santos Mateo Oberto, 23, says he owes $1,700 to DoorDash. Oberto, an immigrant from Guatemala, filed his claim with DCWP in October. After working for the company for five years, he was deactivated a year and a half ago. Since then, Oberto has been fighting to get his unpaid wages back. WJP contacted DoorDash on his behalf in 2022. However, WJP said that since DoorDash told them they would investigate Oberto’s claim, they have not heard from the company.

“Every day that DoorDash doesn’t pay us, they deny our right to livelihood and our ability to provide for ourselves and our families,” Oberto said. “That is unfair.”

Also read: 500 complaints and counting: delivery drivers say apps don’t meet the new minimum wage

As a result of the workers’ wage theft complaints, WJP said DCWP issued letters to eleven individuals in support of a deferred action submit an application to the Department of Homeland Security. Victims or witnesses of a crime, such as wage theft, may qualify for “deferred action,” which provides noncitizens with temporary protection from deportation.

Once approved, an employee can also receive a work permit for up to four years. WJP expects that an additional 31 delivery drivers will apply for deferred action by the end of this month.

This isn’t the first time DoorDash has been accused of wage theft. Last year, THE CITY reported that the delivery app stole $22,000 in wages from 13 employees. The company ultimately paid workers the wages they were due in December 2023. Just this year, DoorDash in Illinois, on November 8, agreed to $11.25 million to approximately 80,000 Illinois DoorDash delivery workers for a wage theft scheme it ran between 2017 and 2019.

According to the The Illinois Attorney General’s OfficeDoorDash was involved in a scheme that used tips to reduce the amount the company actually paid its employees. In some cases, the company contributed as little as $1 to an employee’s wages and illegally replaced the rest of the wages with tips.

Gabriel Montero, director of development and communications for WJP, said the “exploitation” of guest workers is an integral part of DoorDash’s business.

“We’re seeing a fairly widespread pattern of unpaid wages,” he said. “What we see in many cases are workers who are newly arrived migrant workers and who do not know the law. This business model generally depends on the exploitation of workers.”

However, Eli Scheinholtz, a spokesperson for DoorDash, said the workers’ claims represent only a small portion of DoorDash employees. According to the cityNew York has approx 65,000 app-based delivery driversmany of whom work for DoorDash. Scheinholtz said many of the claims submitted can be attributed to human error, for example providing incorrect banking or identity information, which could lead to payment delays.

“While we have not received any evidence regarding these specific allegations, we take all concerns surrounding Dasher payment seriously and investigate claims like these to ensure that Dashers who properly interact with our platform receive they are entitled to,” Scheinholtz said in a statement. . “Here’s what we know to be true: Dashers in New York City are paid for the time they spend completing their work on our platform, in accordance with the city’s minimum wage rules. If their wages do not meet the minimum wage at the end of the week, they will receive an adjustment without exception.”

If employees are having issues with payments, Scheinholtz says he encourages delivery drivers to contact the company so they can quickly address their concerns.