Investigation Finds Staggering Injuries at Amazon Last-Mile Facilities

(NEW YORK) – Teamsters and their allies rallied on the steps of city hall today to demand a city council hearing on the Delivery Protection Act. The rally followed New York City Comptroller Brad Lander’s release of a report detailing a safety crisis at last-mile facilities, which have been made worse by Amazon’s abusive Delivery Service Partner (DSP) model.

“Amazon doesn’t care about the well-being of New Yorkers,” said Tom Gesualdi, President of Teamsters Joint Council 16. “This company hides behind its DSP subcontracting model to dodge responsibility for worker safety, but this report pulls back the curtain and exposes the fact that injuries among delivery drivers in New York are skyrocketing because of Amazon. The Delivery Protection Act will give our city the power to hold this corporate giant accountable.”

The legislation recently reached a bipartisan supermajority of support in the council. It would require companies operating last-mile delivery facilities to abide by higher safety standards, obtain licenses, and directly employ their drivers, putting an end to the DSP model in the five boroughs.

“Amazon’s dangerous business model puts workers in harm’s way to maximize profits,” said Brendan Radtke, an Amazon driver from the DBK4 facility in Maspeth, Queens. “The comptroller’s research reveals the dangerous practices that Amazon workers experience every day. Our communities are suffering because of the greed of this $2 trillion company. It’s time to end Amazon’s stranglehold on New York City by passing the Delivery Protection Act.”

The report found injury rates at last mile facilities in the five boroughs are more than triple the national average for all private employers. DSP employees have an injury rate of 9.2 injuries per 100 employees, the highest rate for workers in last-mile facilities.

“This confirms what we already knew: in spite of the fact that drivers and warehouse workers are an essential part of our economy, they face some of the most dangerous working conditions in the nation,” said Randy Korgan, Director of the Teamsters Amazon Division. “This is devastating for workers and the communities they deliver to, but we can fight back by banning the DSP model.”

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents over 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on X @Teamsters and on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.

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