Ranjit Gauli, a member of UDWA and an army veteran, spoke about how hard it is to make a living off of delivery work, now matter how many hours we put in. We rely on customer tips because of low wages from the companies – which means our income is left up to chance! 

“We need a minimum wage for every order because if there is no tip, or if you have a small order, it’s like we are working for FREE! On top of that, we have to pay all our own expenses. When our bikes are stolen, it’s us who have to pay for it. We are always one theft or one accident away from losing everything. We need a union to make sure we have the wages and protections we deserve!” said Gauli.

The hearing was just a week after an angry customer was charged with killing our fellow delivery worker Zhiwen Yan. Chinese members of IADW spoke out about their fears of violence and the need for lawmakers and app companies to do more to protect us. 

“Whether we are on our bikes or in our cars, delivery workers are not safe. Last month, we lost our brother Zhiwen Yan to gun violence. When I speak to other Chinese delivery workers, I hear terrifying stories. They are harassed. They have close calls with robberies and accidents. They go to bed afraid of what would happen to their families if they died while working,” said IDAW President and Justice for App Workers Co-Chair Dachuan Nie.