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On the Clock is Motherboard's reporting on the organized labor movement, gig work, automation, and the future of work.
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The Relay worker told Motherboard that around 8 p.m. Wednesday evening, he parked his moped to make a delivery, but when he returned, he couldn't restart it. He spent Thursday morning, taking apart his motorcycle piece-by-piece, and putting it back together. "My [moped] wouldn’t turn on this morning," the worker said. "I had to take it apart piece by piece, change parts. The company isn’t responsible for any part of it."Relay's CEO did not respond to a request for comment, but organizers and workers said Relay—a platform that connects gig workers to restaurants in New York City—did not suspend service throughout the flash flood and offered $2 per order incentives to gig workers on Wednesday night. Relay's gig workers sign up to get on the schedule a day before, and cannot decline orders, even during Wednesday's hurricane and tornado warnings in New York. As independent contractors, GrubHub, DoorDash, UberEats, and Relay couriers do not receive healthcare benefits, paid time off, compensation for wear and tear on their bikes, worker's compensation if they're injured, life insurance, or guarantee that they'll earn the minimum wage. "The safety of delivery workers is a top priority," a spokesperson for GrubHub said. "While we always appreciate the hard work drivers put in to get the job done, no delivery worker for any company or restaurant should ever take an action that would jeopardize their safety.”"The safety of our community is paramount," a spokesperson for DoorDash said. "We actively evaluate our service areas when impacted by the weather and other events and may pause operations and communicate these actions with our merchant partners and Dashers. We closely monitor conditions and guidance from local officials, incorporate feedback from our community, and adjust our operations as necessary."