Safeway, Vons and other stores owned by the Albertsons Companies will dispense with delivery drivers – and instead, using third-party drivers from the DoorDash app-based delivery service starting February 27.
“While we know that this change will help us create a more efficient operation, it was not a decision that we made lightly or without much consideration,” Wendy Gutshall, representative of Safeway in Northern California, told SFGATE. “This decision will allow us to compete in the growing home delivery market more effectively.”
Gutshall added that the company is working to “place all affected associates in stores, factories and distribution centers”. They also reward drivers who stay until the transition is complete with “incentive bonuses”.
Los Angeles-based activist news channel Knock.LA, which broke the news for the first time on Monday, confirmed the elimination of internal delivery workers after speaking with two separate employees in the Southern California area.
Proposition 22, which was approved with 58.6% of the vote during the November elections, allowed companies like Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Postmates to classify drivers and other workers as independent contractors and prevent them from accessing full-time employee benefits .
San Francisco was one of the few cities in the state to reject the bill, as nearly 60% of voters opposed it.
Marc Perrone, the president of the International Food and Commerce Workers Union, said in a statement on Wednesday: “Exploiting the approval of Proposition 22 to destroy the well-paid jobs of these dedicated frontline workers in the midst of this crisis public health, is simply wrong. “
“Like the grocery workers’ union across California, UFCW is calling on Albertsons to immediately stop these plans and put the health of its customers first, protecting the jobs of these brave essential workers at a time when our communities need them most. their.”
Taylor Bennett, a DoorDash representative, told SFGATE that the partnership – which extends nationally – was made before Proposition 22. “DoorDash has always supported local economies, and how e-commerce and delivery have become even more important for many companies during these difficult times, we remain committed to helping local merchants reach consumers with the best of their neighborhood, “he said in a statement.