NEW YORK, NY — The National Urban League (NUL), one of the nation’s most prominent civil rights organizations, is throwing its support behind the New York Delivers Coalition, which represents last-mile delivery workers and businesses, amid a legislative battle with the New York City Council.
Pending legislation would prohibit major companies from using independent contractors for last-mile deliveries in New York City. An estimated 80% of affected workers are minorities, and 25% of delivery business owners are Black.
In an open letter to the City Council, National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial warns that the proposed legislation could have devastating consequences for Black entrepreneurship and employment.
“We believe that the legislation…will have a negative effect and cause thousands of jobs to be lost, increasing the racial wealth gap and raising costs for consumers at every turn.”
If the legislation passes, it’s estimated that as many as 10,000 jobs could be eliminated, exacerbating economic challenges facing Black Americans. Recent figures show Black unemployment rising at the fastest rate since COVID, to 7%, up from 6% in August. Among Black women ages 20 and older, unemployment increased from 5.6% to 6.8%.
The National Urban League is calling on the New York City Council to “stand up to support Black entrepreneurs”.