A possible strike by Instacart workers highlights
the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the
grocery delivery business, where workers are
worried about their safety as they try to meet a
surge in demand for online groceries.
A group called the Gig Workers Collective is
calling for a nationwide walk-out. They’ve been
asking Instacart to provide workers with hazard
pay and protective gear, among other demands.
Instacart said it would soon provide workers
with a new hand sanitizer upon request and
outlined changes to its tip system. The group
said the measures were too little too late.
While some workers say they intend to join the
strike for at least a day — or have stopped filling
orders already for fear of getting the virus —
other, newer workers are content to have a paying
job at a time of mass layoffs in other industries.
The San Francisco-based delivery app is trying
to hire 300,000 more workers — more than