National Urban League Slams City Council Bill Targeting Amazon, Citing Impact on Minority Businesses
The organization warns the proposed legislation could harm Black and Latino New Yorkers by disrupting delivery subcontractor networks.
A proposed City Council bill aimed at regulating Amazon's delivery operations is facing criticism from the National Urban League, which argues the measure could disproportionately harm minority-owned businesses and the jobs they provide.
The legislation, referred to as the Delivery Protection Act, seeks to compel Amazon to directly hire its delivery workers. However, the National Urban League's President, Marc Morial, has stated that the bill would "deal a devastating blow to black and brown New Yorkers."
Morial's concerns center on the bill's potential to outlaw the operations of numerous independent, minority-owned businesses that function as last-mile delivery subcontractors for Amazon. The council's approach, according to critics, overlooks the livelihoods dependent on these existing subcontractor relationships.
The National Urban League suggests that the Teamsters union could benefit from the bill by gaining a few hundred new members, while thousands of jobs could be eliminated. Furthermore, there is a concern that Amazon might respond to the legislation by ceasing operations in the city, leading to the loss of additional jobs associated with its warehouses.
Critics have drawn parallels to Amazon's decision to withdraw plans for a second headquarters in Queens in 2019, an outcome they attribute to political opposition. The National Urban League is urging Speaker Julie Menin to withdraw the Delivery Protection Act.