This treatment issue for Amazon Flex gig workers in Seattle had been going on since the pandemic era, but it is only now that it has been settled.
However, Amazon Flex loses.
2nd-biggest settlement in history
Amazon Flex is slated to pay almost a whopping $3.8 million to Seattle after it was judged to have violated the city’s pandemic-era gig worker ordinances.
“This settlement marks the second largest in OLS history, demonstrating the effectiveness of gig worker protections swiftly put into law during one of the country’s (and Seattle’s) most difficult times,” Seattle’s Office of Labor Standards Director Steven Marchese told Ridesharing Forum. “Gig workers provided critical services to our community during the pandemic. While we have safely navigated out of the pandemic, these workers remain critical to the city’s economy now and in the future.”
The office has alleged that Amazon Flex’s operations violated ordinances that are designed to provide gig workers with premium pay, as well as paid sick and safe times for them.
True, Amazon provides premium pay, and paid sick and safe time, but it’s unfair. They only do so when Amazon performs deliveries for the systems’s food or grocery business lines, not for workers who are doing package deliveries from Amazon’s warehouses, or the main task of Amazon Flex users.
Mayor Bruce Harrell also spoke with the Ridesharing Forum website, saying, “Gig workers served on the frontlines throughout the pandemic, providing critical services like grocery and food delivery to our vulnerable neighbors and elders,” Mayor Bruce Harrell said in a press release. “These workers remain a valued part of our workforce today and deserve fair pay and protections.”
Amazon denies mistake
Amazon Flex may be ready to pay the dues, but they are denying the allegations.
“The Puget Sound region is our home, and we’re proud to serve customers here while supporting the community through good job opportunities, support for local small businesses and organizations, and hundreds of millions in local investments,” Amazon Flex told Ridesharing Forum website. “We’ve always complied with Seattle laws relating to providing paid sick and safe time to delivery partners — including when the City Council enacted emergency measures during the pandemic for food delivery app-based workers, and following the 2024 expansion of the rule to include all app-based workers.”
However, while they disagree with the ruling, they are pleased to follow the decision, and remain “focused on continuing to improve the experience” for their customers and the drivers who deliver for them.
The almost $3.8 million includes settlement payments, as well as paid sick and safe time credits to almost 11,000 affected gig workers, including $20,000 in fines to the city, the authorities noted.
Don’t worry about not receiving them, because the city has ordered that these be paid starting in the New Year 2026.
To provide you with context, among the allegations are Amazon Flex not providing premium pay to their gig workers who deliver, pick up, and drop off in the Seattle area from August 2021 to October 2022. In addition, Amazon Flex was also accused of not establishing a system for gig workers to request, and take advantage of paid sick and safe time if they were delivering. They are also allegedly not giving monthly paid sick and safe time notification for these workers. Share your thoughts on this matter by signing up for your account today. Join the discussions!