The Gig Workers Collective has been created to represent the interest of workers in the shadow economy including food delivery.  Demand for home delivery has surged following stay-at-home mandates throughout the U.S.

On Monday workers for Instacart struck to protest pay and potential exposure to COVID-19.  The workers maintain that Instacart is not providing adequate protection in the form of alcohol wipes. They are demanding hazard pay and a guarantee of an additional $5 per delivery and a default tip of 10 percent of the order total.

Instacart offered fourteen days of pay for any hourly employee or full-service shopper diagnosed with COVID-19 through May 6th. Instacart intends employing an additional 300,000 Gig workers over the coming three months to maintain service in the face of increased orders. They will have to recognize the reality that even with a projected 15 percent unemployment rate in April they still will have to listen and respond to workers’ needs.