More than 150K Instacart workers threaten national strike over coronavirus hazard concerns

Instacart.·USA TODAY
Mike Snider, USA TODAY
5 min read
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Workers who shop to fill and deliver orders for online grocery service Instacart plan a nationwide strike for Monday over inadequate safety measures and hazard pay during the coronavirus crisis.

More than 150,000 Instacart drivers and shoppers plan to walk off the job Monday until the company meets certain demands including an extra $5 per order in hazard pay, expanded pay for workers impacted by COVID-19, and the provision of safety supplies including disinfectant wipes.

"Instacart has refused to act proactively in the interests of its Shoppers, customers, and public health, so we are forced to take matters into our own hands," wrote Instacart Shoppers and Gig Workers Collective in a post on Medium Friday. "We will not continue to work under these conditions."

The workers planned strike was first reported by Vice.

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Concerns about the spread of the coronavirus have transformed industries, with workers for many nonessential businesses staying at home, as well as layoffs and furloughs. While other companies including Amazon, CVS and Instacart, which have scores of workers already delivering groceries, drugs and other products, are adding to their payrolls.

Instacart later on Friday also said it would extend its 14 days of extended pay for any full-service or in-store shopper diagnosed with COVID-19 or quarantined to May 8, an additional month from the initial measures announced by Instacart founder and CEO Apoorva Mehta earlier this week.

The company also on Friday announced bonuses for its in-store shoppers, shift leads, and site managers; bonuses will range from $25 to $200 and be based on the number of hours worked from March 15 to April 15.

Instacart also began a new method for shoppers to deliver alcohol without having to let customers come into contact with their phone. Instead, the shopper can simply type in the date within the Shopper app after looking at a customer's ID. The app also has been updated to allow workers to report safety incidents within the app.

Earlier this week, Instacart said it planned to add 300,000 workers over the next three months to meet the burgeoning demand for grocery deliveries and pickups, as millions are urged to stay home to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Instacart lets users remotely shop supermarkets including Costco, Safeway, Whole Foods and others, and have orders delivered to their homes or prepared for pickup at stores.

Instacart had also been working to provide cleaning products, health and safety supplies for its shoppers across North America, Mehta said.

“The health and safety of our entire community – shoppers, customers, and employees – is our first priority," Instacart said in a statement Friday to USA TODAY. "Our goal is to offer a safe and flexible earnings opportunity to shoppers, while also proactively taking the appropriate precautionary measures to operate safely. We want to underscore that we absolutely respect the rights of shoppers to provide us feedback and voice their concerns. It’s a valuable way for us to continuously make improvements to the shopper experience and we’re committed to supporting this important community during this critical time.”

Instacart's response "lacks substance (and) does nothing to protect us," tweeted Vanessa Bain, who identified herself as a lead organizer of the work action and an Instacart gig worker in Menlo Park, California, to Vice's Motherboard tech news site.

"Conceding to one demand is way too little, way too late," her tweet continued. "Our call for an emergency walk off still stands."

In their initial demands, the worker groups said Instacart has been "profiting astronomically off of us literally risking our lives, all while refusing to provide us with effective protection, meaningful pay, and meaningful benefits."

"They are putting us directly in harm’s way while profiting greatly," the workers wrote. "we cannot let this be considered normal."

The 14 days of extended pay, they wrote, "not only falls short, but isn’t even being honored." And the policy is set to expire April 8, "likely before any Shopper will even qualify for this payment," they had written.

The workers demands include:

  • Safety precautions at no cost to workers: PPE (at minimum hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes/sprays and soap).

  • Hazard pay: an extra $5 per order and defaulting the in-app tip amount to at least 10% of the order total.

  • Expanded pay for workers impacted by COVID-19: qualification for anyone with a doctor’s note for either a preexisting condition that’s a known risk factor or requiring a self-quarantine.

  • Extended deadline for benefits beyond April 8.

Follow USA TODAY reporter Mike Snider on Twitter: @MikeSnider.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Instacart workers to strike Monday over coronavirus health hazards

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