Mamdani Accuses Amazon of 'Fear-Mongering' as Delivery Protection Act Faces City Council Showdown

Mayor Zohran Mamdani joined Teamsters General President Sean O'Brien, Queens Council Member Tiffany Cabán, and other labor leaders at a City Hall rally on October 22, urging the Council to pass the Delivery Protection Act. The bill would require last-mile delivery companies to directly employ workers and obtain city operating licenses, rather than relying on third-party subcontractors. It has 34 Council sponsors, well above the 26 needed, but has been held in committee since April. Mamdani accused Amazon and allied groups of spending heavily to defeat the measure, pointing to more than $5 million in lobbying expenses by the Five Boroughs Jobs Campaign, which received over $5 million from Amazon between February and May 2026. He said there is 'an incredible amount of money being spent by Amazon and other similar companies to fear-monger about what this legislation would do.' Amazon argued the bill would raise costs and threaten jobs. The rally came amid growing concern over delivery worker safety following a DoorDash cyclist's critical injuries in a Brooklyn hit-and-run. Labor advocates call the bill essential to protecting tens of thousands of gig-economy delivery workers citywide.