Instacart shoppers are organizing a work stoppage on Monday because they say the delivery company has not done enough to ensure their safety during the coronavirus outbreak, as first reported through Vice.
The workers say they refuse to accept new orders via the Instacart app until the company adds a $ 5 per order risk payment, extends paid sick leave policies, and provides them with protective equipment, including hand sanitizer and sanitizer wipes.
In an interview with The edge, lead organizer Vanessa Bain said the group is trying not only to protect existing Instacart customers, but also new customers. It is not the first time workers have been on strike, but she says the stakes are now much higher. “The mood is much darker,” said Bain, who has been an Instacart shopper for four years. “It is usually a lot of energy and people are very enthusiastic. At the moment, people are literally doing this to save their lives.”
Instacart announced plans earlier this week hire another 300,000 workers to keep up with the explosive demand for grocery delivery. “The past few weeks have been the busiest in Instacart history,” Instacart founder and CEO Apoorva Mehta said in a pronunciation.
Adding that many new workers are “predatory,” says Bain, with many people suddenly unemployed due to coronavirus shutdowns that are desperate for work, but may not be prepared for the heavy lifting.
“This work requires a high degree of skill,” she says. “People like me, who are experienced shoppers, will tell you that the past three weeks have been the most overwhelming, stressful weeks we’ve ever seen. It’s a really tough job right now. It’s unsafe for the existing workforce, but instead prioritizing health and safety, they bring more people in. “
The company announced on March 9 that it would provide 14 days of paid leave to part-time employees or shoppers diagnosed with COVID-19 or placed in mandatory quarantine. Previously, that leave was only available through April 8, but the company said in a new blog post today that it would extend the benefit until 8 May.
“The health and safety of our entire community – shoppers, customers and employees – is our number one priority,” an Instacart spokesperson said in an email to The edge. ‘Our goal is to provide shoppers with a safe and flexible profit opportunity, while also proactively taking appropriate precautions to operate safely. ”
In addition to extending sickness benefits, Instacart has introduced a bonus program, which will be based on hours worked between March 15 and April 15 ranging from $ 25 to $ 200, and additional promotions for full-service shoppers to earn more based on regional demand. It also implements contactless alcohol delivery and has added a ‘safety incidents’ section to its app where buyers can report issues.
Bain said the sickness absence policy that required a positive coronavirus test was insufficient. Because tests are not widely available and many do not have health insurance, many customers are likely to continue working even if they are symptomatic.
Bain added that she and other organizers “shouted into the void” about the company’s lack of sickness or paid leave. They previously held four walkout events to protest the circumstances. But she says the idea of working conditions in the gig economy was a bit abstract for many people until the coronavirus made clear how the lack of protection could affect everyone.
“I think a wider part of society cares about this right now,” she says. “Not only do they think ‘is this safe for the worker’, but now they realize ‘hey that worker is laying hands on things that come into my house.’ They are now much better prepared: if an Instacart shopper starts to work sick, they can make other people sick. ”
Bain herself had to stop taking orders for Instacart because she lives with her elderly grandparents and did not want to endanger them. “We are really in a situation where the people who can least afford it expose themselves to supermarkets all day, some of the most dangerous places to be in the country. ‘