When Latrice Johnson learned that her brother had died, she was delivering Amazon packages in New York City. The next day, an Amazon manager gave her contact information for a grief counselor. Johnson called and spoke with the counselor, only to get another call telling her she wasn’t eligible for the service. She didn’t work for Amazon.

Johnson delivered Amazon packages for two years out of DBK4 in Queens. Unable to afford more time off after her brother’s death, Johnson went back to delivering packages. As she testified before New York City Council, she sometimes cried as she made her stops.

On Thursday afternoon, Johnson was outside the gates of New York City Hall with the Teamsters, pushing for legislation meant to do away with that distinction. The Delivery Protection Act (DPA), introduced by City Council Member Tiffany Cabán, would require delivery companies to directly employ the drivers and warehouse workers doing their core work, as well as set licensing, safety, and training requirements for last-mile facilities. Three days earlier, Mayor Zohran Mamdani endorsed the bill. More than thirty council members are signed on as cosponsors, though Speaker Julie Menin, who supported an earlier version, has not yet backed the latest version.