Delivery workers threaten to strike

Workers for Amazon and the grocery delivery service Instacart plan to walk out on Monday because they say the companies aren’t protecting them from COVID-19 exposure. Instacart announced Sunday it would make hand sanitizer spray available to employees and update its tip feature, a measure some are calling too little, too late. Both Amazon and Instacart have announced plans to hire tens of thousands of new workers to meet the skyrocketing demand for home delivery of food and other supplies due to stay-at-home orders.

What do the employees want the companies to change? Workers from both Amazon and Instacart want paid sick leave. Instacart workers also are asking for hazard pay and free hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes. Employees at Amazon’s Staten Island warehouse, where multiple people have tested positive for COVID-19, also want the company to close the warehouse for a more thorough cleaning.

Dig deeper: Read Jamie Dean’s WORLD Magazine cover story about how the coronavirus affects some of the most vulnerable.