The Seattle City Council on Tuesday took the first of several planned steps to improve wages and working conditions for app-based workers, unanimously passing the "Pay Up" bill, increasing wage and mileage requirements for on-demand gig workers.
The bill, co-sponsored by Councilmembers Lisa Herbold and Andrew Lewis, requires companies to pay per-minute and per-mile rates to delivery drivers on apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub, beginning when drivers accept an order. The new requirement, which goes into effect in 2023, is designed to allow contract workers to earn the city's $17.27 minimum wage and receive the standard mileage reimbursement set by the Internal Revenue Service.
Pay Up has been in the works for about a year, with gig workers, companies, labor advocates and council members debating the way forward. Tuesday's bill scratches the surface of the ultimate plan.
