Instacart shoppers plan a series of actions in protest of company’s wage practices
0Reported today on TechCrunch
For the full article visit: https://techcrunch.com/2019/12/09/instacart-shoppers-plan-a-six-day-protest-of-companys-wage-practices/
Instacart shoppers plan a series of actions in protest of company's wage practices
Instacart shoppers are continuing to hold the grocery startup accountable with their latest set of actions. Kicking off next Monday, Instacart shoppers plan to take one action per day, for six days in protest of Instacart.
"We're still just trying to get this one tiny thing: double the default tip percentage," Instacart shopper and protest organizer Sarah (pseudonym) told TechCrunch. "We've tried endlessly to get them to raise the base guarantee pay. But we feel like, fine, at least give us the higher default tip."
Instacart currently suggests a default tip of 5% but workers want Instacart to increase it to 10%. Next week, Instacart shoppers plan to take a number of actions. including filing a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor as well as filing a wage claim.
Sarah, who has been an Instacart shopper for four years in California, says shoppers have become furious because it's clear Instacart does not respect them.
"We're trying to continuously show them that we do have power," Sarah said. "I believe this protest of seven days is going to be the most powerful thing we've ever done because it has the ability to really fuck them up."
The full schedule is as follows:
December 16: File complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor, asking the department to audit Instacart's previous practice of misappropriating tips
December 17: Contact federal legislators and ask them to hold Instacart accountable to minimum wage laws and more
December 18: File a wage claim regarding Instacart's classification of shoppers as 1099 independent contractors
December 19: Hand-deliver binders, filled with a letter and personal notes from workers, to CEOs of six partner stores.