Daryl Reardon of CUNY testifies on delivery worker health study

Hi, my name is Daryl Reardon, and I'm speaking on behalf of CUNY's delivery work and health study team.

Ligia actually gave you this paperwork already.

With the Workers'Justice Project, our team surveyed 561 app delivery workers this spring, and our just-release reef, driven by algorithms that Ligia handed you, is submitted to the committee along with our testimony.

The findings from our study are stark.

53% of workers report a work-related injury, more than five times the national rate.

40% have severe psychological distress.

distress five times the rate among adult New Yorkers.

Algorithms are behind the negative health effects.

Over 80% say the apps decide their speed, routes, and hours, and 52% fear deactivation if they don't deliver fast enough.

For 96%, this is their only job, and the threat of deactivation and shift limits pushes workers to take risks that endanger them and the public.

These bills tackle a real problem as e-bikes become a permanent part of our streets, and we support those that improve street design, education, and crash data.

But as drafted, nine of the bills on today's agenda could have serious unintended consequences.

Local Law 34, aimed at preventing unjust deactivations, doesn't cover temporary lockouts, and it exempts deactivations the law would require.

Some of these bills would mandate lockouts and others would make deactivations easier to justify, giving apps new ways to cut out workers and push them to rush even more.

Our written testimony details our recommendations.

Finally, Local Law 34 should be amended to cover temporary outlooks, login caps, and shift limits.

Safer streets require limiting the app's power to make workers rush.

We urge the Council to aim at the root causes of unsafe streets, the algorithms and business

decisions of platform delivery companies.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Eric?