New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani is backing a city council bill that would require Amazon, FedEx, and other big delivery operators to employ couriers directly instead of using subcontractors, according to the Wall Street Journal. Under the Delivery Protection Act, warehouse operators would need city licenses, and getting one would mean meeting safety, training, and employment standards that put thousands of contract couriers on payroll. Mamdani said the bill would cut traffic accidents too, citing a 2025 city comptroller report that tied last-mile facility openings to more injury crashes in 78% of neighborhoods. Amazon responded that it might move warehouses out of the city if the bill passes, and that over 5,000 jobs at its subcontractors could be at risk.
