The City Council voted on Wednesday to overturn Mayor Eric Adams’ vetoes of two worker-protection bills, one lessening penalties for unauthorized or improper street vending and the other boosting wages for grocery delivery workers.
One measure, Int. 47, will eliminate misdemeanor charges and jail time for street vending violations. The other measure, Int. 1135, will require third-party app companies, such as Instacart, to pay grocery delivery workers a minimum wage of $21.44 per hour, extending a similar existing wage mandate for restaurant delivery workers.
“The mayor’s vetoes demonstrate that he prioritizes taking action to fuel greater corporate profits at the expense of workers in our city, who continue to be exploited,” Speaker Adrienne Adams said at a rally on the steps of City Hall on Wednesday morning.
Both override votes passed easily, reflecting the wide policy gulf between the Democratic-run Council and the mayor, who is seeking re-election as an independent. City Hall officials and spokespeople said the mayor’s decision to veto the bills was the right call…