Seattle, WA
Instacart, DoorDash, and other apps appear to be trying to roll back Seattle's new laws for gig workers
On February 29, Instacart sent an email with a link to a survey to its gig worker shoppers in Seattle. Its stated purpose: To figure out what its shoppers thought of the city’s new law on gig work.
But in the preamble to the survey, Instacart indicated it already had thoughts about how things were going. “Some shoppers are seeing a negative impact on earnings, limited service areas for batches, and decreased order frequency,” the email read. “That’s why it’s crucial we hear from you about exactly how these changes have influenced you and your work with Instacart.”
The survey is one example of how Instacart, DoorDash, and other gig work companies have been pushing back on a law that took effect in Seattle this past January. The law, one of multiple proposals known collectively as “Pay Up,” most notably aims to increase delivery workers’ pay to a rate comparable with Seattle’s $19.97 minimum wage.
The companies lobbied against the proposals before the Seattle City Council. But they haven’t given up the fight just because they’ve become law.
Some of the questions in Instacart’s survey asked shoppers about how their earnings or wait times for orders had changed since the pay law took effect.
One asked shoppers whether they supported or opposed Pay Up — but only after offering Instacart’s own explanation in the previous questions about the law.
That’s caught some workers’ attention.
“There were so many red flags in that survey that, of course, I didn’t want to bother to do it,” one Instacart shopper who delivers orders in Seattle told Business Insider. The shopper asked not to be identified for fear of having their Instacart account deactivated, but BI verified their employment and identity.
The survey also asked shoppers whether they were waiting longer to claim orders to shop or earning more or less from Instacart customer tips — even though Instacart itself plays a commanding role in determining both, the shopper told BI.
After Pay Up took effect, for instance, Instacart reduced the default tip on orders within Seattle to 0%. Before the law took effect, it was 5%. The survey also didn’t mention that Instacart had increased fees for customers since the law took effect, the shopper said.
On Wednesday, Instacart said that the survey had garnered responses from “more than 250 shoppers.” The summary touted that a super-majority of shoppers in Seattle said their experience on the app had gotten worse since Pay Up became law in January, with earnings down and wait times to claim orders up.
“A staggering 82% have said tips are down since PayUp took effect,” the summary says, for example, without mentioning Instacart’s change to its default tip in Seattle.
A spokesperson for Instacart told Business Insider that “the voice of shoppers is critical in helping to shape public policy across the country, and we regularly reach out to shoppers to understand their experience on the platform. In one recent survey, 72% of shoppers surveyed in Seattle told us their experience has been worse since the PayUp law took effect.
“Elected officials, especially in Seattle, rely heavily on the voices of local constituents — including workers, businesses, and customers — to inform the direction of their policy proposals,” they continued. “Instacart will continue to listen to shoppers and help empower them to make their voices heard in important policy conversations.”
About a month later, in March, Instacart sent out another email to shoppers. While it didn’t reference the survey, it did claim that the company had heard from shoppers whose pay had gone down and who were waiting longer to claim batches of orders. “It’s clear that this new law isn’t working and unfortunately, this is exactly what we warned the Council would happen,” the email read.
The message included a link to a form with a pre-written letter, which pointed to many of the same issues that the survey had alluded to, including lower pay and wait times. It instructed shoppers to add their own experiences and then submit it to Instacart as a testimonial for the city council.
Some shoppers posted the email on Reddit. One poster, who included screenshots of the message, encouraged other Instacart shoppers to turn the pre-written letter to the city council around. “Instead, tell them to crack down on Instacart’s retaliation,” the post read, referring to the costs that the company passed on to customers.
“I actually removed some of the text and I rephrased it to say, ‘Thank you for passing Pay Up,’” the Instacart shopper who spoke with BI said.
Other companies have made their gig workers aware of their stance on Seattle’s new law, even if they haven’t issued calls to action like Instacart’s.
About a week after Seattle’s pay law took effect, DoorDash sent an email to its workers in Seattle with claims that Dashers would see fewer offers and wait longer to claim them. DoorDash also said in the message that it would end its Top Dasher and Priority Access programs in Seattle, both of which allow delivery workers access to better-paying batches if their metrics, such as customer ratings, are high enough.
“These new rules restrict platforms from rewarding high quality Dashers,” the email read, referencing Pay Up.
“It’s painfully clear from listening to Dashers, merchants and consumers that this new law simply isn’t working,” a DoorDash spokesperson told BI.
“The regulatory response fee in Seattle helps offset the costs associated with the current law,” the spokesperson said. “If those costs can be decreased through reform legislation, we will explore all options to increase affordability for consumers, including a reduction of the fee.”
Uber Eats and Grubhub have also put out statements saying that things have gotten worse for their gig workers since Seattle’s law took effect. The companies have also added fees for customers since Pay Up took effect. DoorDash, for instance, has added a $4.99 charge to orders in Seattle, though nothing in the Pay Up legislation required it.
Seattle’s city council is considering significant changes to Pay Up in hopes that the companies will take away those fees, local news outlets reported in recent weeks.
Anna Powell, a DoorDash government relations manager, told GeekWire in February that the company’s goal was more ambitious.
“We would like to see a repeal of the ordinance,” Powell said.
Do you work for Instacart, DoorDash, Walmart Spark, or another gig delivery service and have a story idea to share? Reach out to this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com
Seattle, WA
VIDEO: Mayor Wilson proposes renewing, expanding Seattle Transit Measure by doubling the sales-tax percentage that funds it.
Through the end of this year, 0.15% of the sales tax you pay funds the voter-approved Seattle Transit Measure. That would double to 0.30% if the City Council and Seattle voters approve the renewal/expansion that Mayor Katie Wilson officially introduced this afternoon. She said it’ll make living in Seattle more affordable by enabling more people to “live car-free or car-light.” She acknowledged that raising the sales tax isn’t ideal but noted that it’s one of the few revenue-raising tools available under state law. Besides paying for more transit – 280,000 additional Metro bus trips a year, 100,000 more than the current measure funds – it also would pay for 22,000 free ORCA transit passes, more than double what the city provides now, said acting SDOT director Angela Brady during the announcement event at City Hall. The passes are now available to Seattle Promise scholars, low-income Seattle Preschool Program families, and Seattle Housing Authority residents. The measure’s renewal/expansion would also make those passes available to Housing Choice Voucher participants.
The mayor’s announcement says the Transit Measure isn’t just about buses: It also would “support the design and delivery of Sound Transit’s West Seattle Link Extension, Ballard Link Extension, and Graham Street Station.” The 0.30% sales tax would generate an estimated $138 million average per year for the 10 years of this measure, which is proposed to go to voters in November. Council review starts this Thursday and will be led by District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka, who chairs the council committee that oversees transportation. We’ll add the specific text of the proposal when we get it; the slide deck for Thursday’s council meeting is now available, and we’ll add some highlights from that soon.
SEATTLE — With less than two weeks before Seattle hosts matches during the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, Seattle City Council Public Safety Committee Chair Bob Kettle is escalating his criticism of Mayor Katie Wilson’s decision not to activate newly installed CCTV cameras in the Stadium District and suggesting she is violating established law.
In a sharply worded letter sent Monday, Kettle argues that the mayor’s decision to pause activation of the city’s Technology-Assisted Public Safety Pilot Program is inconsistent with city law and the ordinances approved by the Seattle City Council.
RELATED | Mayor Wilson hosts discussion on surveillance and security, takes questions from public
“I believe that she is not operating according to the ordinances, the law with respect to the stadium ordinances, and her duties under the charter,” Kettle said in an interview on Tuesday.
The dispute centers on 22 CCTV cameras that have already been installed in and around Seattle’s Stadium District but remain inactive as city leaders debate privacy concerns and the circumstances under which the system should be used.
Kettle said the approaching World Cup is what prompted him to send the letter.
“Basically, we’re less than two weeks out from the World Cup, and we’re not ready,” Kettle said. “We have capacity with these stadium cameras, they’re up, they’re installed, but they’re not turned on.”
In his letter, Kettle argues that the council already approved the surveillance technology through council-approved ordinances, specifically outlining the limited circumstances under which the program can be paused.
According to Kettle, those conditions include situations where the city is compelled to release camera data for civil immigration enforcement, gender-affirming care investigations, or reproductive healthcare matters, or when city leaders determine the technology is being used for those purposes.
RELATED | City leaders say Seattle ready for World Cup, despite concerns with surveillance, drones
“Neither condition has occurred that would merit a temporary program pause,” Kettle wrote.
The councilmember contends that the Seattle Municipal Code and the approved surveillance impact report provide no authority for the mayor to indefinitely delay the program’s implementation beyond those specified exceptions.
The mayor’s office has defended its position, saying activation decisions will be guided by public safety experts and intelligence assessments ahead of the World Cup.
“Mayor Wilson continues to consult public safety officials regarding circumstances that might warrant use of the expanded set of cameras during the FIFA World Cup,” the mayor’s office said in a previous statement. “We appreciate councilmembers’ perspectives, and those will be part of ongoing discussions.”
The previous statement continued:
“With regard to credible threats: Identifying a credible threat involves multiple experts from federal, state, and local agencies monitoring and assessing various streams of information. In collaboration with one another, they weigh incoming intelligence and jointly recommend whether to elevate security operations. Mayor Wilson’s decision whether to activate the Stadium District cameras will be informed by this group’s recommendation.”
The mayor’s office has been asked if there is a change in perspective given Kettle’s letter. In a new statement obtained by KOMO News on Tuesday, the mayor’s office said Wilson’s position remains “unchanged.”
“Per our legal review, we believe council has the authority to pause the use of adopted surveillance technology but cannot require its use,” the mayor’s office said in Tuesday’s statement. “The Mayor is ensuring that our use of surveillance technology is protective of civil rights, liberties, and privacy and provides sufficient data privacy safeguards. The Mayor has a duty to make sure our use of these technologies is responsible.”
Kettle argues that waiting for a specific threat before activating the cameras misunderstands modern security planning.
SEE ALSO | Seattle mayor’s verbal missteps prompt national and viral attention, leadership questions
“There are credible concerns,” Kettle said, citing worries about drones and other security issues surrounding a major international event.
He pointed to examples, including the 1996 Atlanta Olympic bombing and the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, arguing that public officials often do not receive advance warning before attacks occur.
“This idea that you’re going to get a credible threat warning is not right. It’s not the professional standard,” Kettle said. “The 22 cameras are installed, they’re ready to go, they just need to be turned on.”
Opponents of the camera expansion have raised concerns that footage could potentially be sought by federal immigration authorities or used in ways that conflict with Seattle’s sanctuary city policies.
Kettle dismissed those concerns, arguing that the council built extensive safeguards into the legislation governing the cameras.
“We don’t have facial recognition,” Kettle said, noting the city established restrictions and oversight measures as part of the technology program.
He also argued that federal agencies have their own surveillance capabilities and do not need Seattle’s camera network to conduct enforcement operations.
Kettle said he sought legal guidance before sending the letter and believes the mayor’s decision is inconsistent with the ordinances governing the program.
“I asked the question, if Mayor Harrell had to do all this in terms of ordinances, why is it that Mayor Wilson does not?” Kettle said. He said attorneys reviewing the issue identified concerns centered on the language governing when the program may be “paused.”
While Kettle stopped short of calling for legal action against the mayor, he said he wanted to publicly highlight what he views as a conflict between the administration’s actions and council-approved law.
“Her move related to the pause is not right, and essentially a violation,” Kettle said.
Kettle said Seattle is the only one of the 11 World Cup host cities that does not have its full camera system operational and warned that the city is running out of time.
“We have to take action now to get ourselves ready for the World Cup,” he said. “That is ensuring that we have all the pieces in place, and that we’re using the capacities that we have to their full ability.”
Kettle said he was scheduled to meet with members of the mayor’s team on Tuesday and hopes a resolution can be reached before the first World Cup matches arrive in Seattle.
Seattle, WA
Melinda French Gates is done ‘cheering on Seattle from the sidelines’ — she’s buying into the bet to bring the Sonics back | Fortune
Melinda French Gates, a billionaire philanthropist and businesswoman, will join the Seattle Kraken as a minority investor, pending NHL approval.
French Gates, 61, is the ex-wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. She and her $30 billion net worth, according to Forbes, join an ownership group headlined by majority owner and managing partner Samantha Holloway, as well as investors David Wright, Andy Jassy and longtime Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
“As a longtime Seattle resident, it means a lot to me to have the chance to make this investment in our city and its future,” French Gates said in a statement. “I’m a big believer in the power of sports, and after many years of cheering on Seattle from the sidelines, I’m excited to have an even deeper connection to the Seattle sports community.”
French Gates has never previously had an ownership stake in a major professional sports franchise. She will do so at a time when the Kraken ownership group is positioning itself to own an NBA franchise should the NBA return to the Emerald City for the first time since the SuperSonics were relocated to Oklahoma City nearly 20 years ago.
In March, the Kraken ownership group announced the creation of One Roof Sports and Entertainment, which serves as the umbrella brand of the organization to “oversee a growing portfolio of properties and fuel new opportunities.” At the time, Holloway announced that One Roof would pursue an NBA team in Seattle, should the league move forward with expansion.
Holloway also announced in March that the group had entered an agreement to purchase additional equity in Climate Pledge Arena from Oak View Group, and would make the organization the majority owner of the building. OVG has retained a minority stake.
French Gates, who grew up in Dallas and received a bachelor’s degree in computer science and economics, as well as an MBA from Duke, currently heads Pivotal, a group of organizations she founded to accelerate the pace of social progress for women and young people in the United States and around the world.
French Gates previously founded and co-chaired the Gates Foundation, the world’s largest philanthropy.
“I am excited to welcome Melinda to our ownership group,” Holloway said in a statement. “Melinda is an impressive business leader, philanthropist and importantly, a Seattle sports fan. We share many of the same values, including a deep commitment to Seattle and a belief in building organizations that create lasting impact.”
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