Zohran Mamdani backed the Delivery Protection Act earlier this month, putting fresh political weight behind a bill that would force last-mile warehouse and distribution facilities in New York City to directly employ core delivery and warehouse workers instead of relying on third-party contractors. The proposal is now before the Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection, and it would give companies two years to comply if it becomes law.
That support matters now because the bill is not a vague labor idea. It would change how deliveries are staffed at facilities across New York City, create a licensing system for storage and distribution sites, and set new safety, training and labor standards. For companies that depend on contractor-heavy delivery networks, the measure would touch the way routes are assigned, schedules are set and quotas are enforced.
The reach of the bill would be broad. Amazon-branded vehicle drivers in New York City are employed by Delivery Service Partners rather than by Amazon directly, and FedEx uses contracted service providers for ground-based deliveries. Alternative carriers OnTrac and Gofo also lean on independent companies to support shipping, which means the legislation would not affect a single business model but a whole segment of the delivery market.
Supporters argue the bill would give New York City more power to regulate last-mile operations and hold companies like Amazon accountable for how work is organized. Opponents told lawmakers in April that it could slow deliveries and drive up shipping costs if signed into law. In June, an economic and transportation consultancy, AKRF, said compliance would increase labor and operating costs for companies like Amazon and likely push a large share of distribution activity to facilities outside New York City and into nearby areas such as New Jersey.
Shawn Compton, speaking for opponents, warned that the effect would not stop at one city. He said the impact could reach much farther because no one expects it to remain only in New York City if it passes. That is the basic fault line around the measure: one side sees accountability and stronger standards, the other sees slower service and higher costs.
The bill’s next stop is the committee room, where its prospects remain uncertain. What is clear is that Mamdani’s public backing has turned a local labor proposal into a test of how far New York City is willing to go to remake the way last-mile delivery work is done.
