I started delivering food in Seattle a few years ago because it gave me flexibility. I could work around school, family responsibilities, and other jobs. I could choose when to log on, where to work, and how long to stay out. Like many delivery drivers, it’s not my full-time job — I was looking for control over my time and a reliable way to earn a little extra income.
Two years after Seattle passed its delivery pay law, that flexibility — and that reliability — is disappearing.
When the city passed the App-Based Worker Minimum Payment Ordinance, the idea sounded good: guarantee delivery drivers a higher minimum pay rate. I support fair pay. Drivers deserve protections, and no one should be underpaid for their work. But what the law didn’t fully account for is how delivery actually works — and how higher costs would change customer behavior…