NYC Mayor Secures $5M Settlement, Reinstates 10,000 Delivery Workers

Uber Eats, Fantuan, and HungryPanda to pay restitution and penalties for minimum wage violations

Jan. 30, 2026 at 9:47pm

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) announced a $5.2 million settlement with three major food delivery app companies - Uber Eats, Fantuan, and HungryPanda. The companies will pay restitution and penalties for failing to pay delivery workers the city's minimum pay rate between December 2023 and September 2024. Uber Eats also agreed to reinstate around 10,000 workers who were wrongfully deactivated during that period.

Why it matters

This settlement represents a major victory for the city's delivery workers, known as "Deliveristas," who have long complained about low pay and unfair treatment by the powerful delivery app companies. The enforcement action sends a strong message that the city will not tolerate labor violations, especially against vulnerable immigrant workers who make up a large portion of the delivery workforce.

The details

The settlement includes $3.15 million in restitution for over 48,000 Uber Eats workers, $468,000 for 285 Fantuan workers, and $1.07 million for over 1,000 HungryPanda workers. The companies will also pay civil penalties totaling over $608,000. DCWP's investigations found the companies failed to pay workers the city's minimum pay rate during the specified time periods. Uber Eats also agreed to reinstate around 10,000 workers who were wrongfully deactivated.

  • Between December 2023 and September 2024, Uber Eats failed to pay workers the minimum pay rate.
  • Between December 2023 and February 2024, Fantuan failed to pay workers the minimum pay rate.
  • Between December 2023 and January 2024, HungryPanda failed to pay workers the minimum pay rate.

The players

Zohran Kwame Mamdani

The Mayor of New York City.

Sam Levine

The Commissioner of the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP).

Uber Eats

A major food delivery app company that will pay $3.5 million in restitution and penalties.

Fantuan

A food delivery app company that will pay $520,000 in restitution and penalties.

HungryPanda

A food delivery app company that will pay $1.175 million in restitution and penalties.

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What they’re saying

“In the first month of this administration, our city has made one thing unmistakably clear: there is zero tolerance for exploiting workers, cutting corners on labor protections, or rigging our economy to serve wealthy corporations at the expense of working people.”

— Zohran Kwame Mamdani, Mayor of New York City (Mirage News)

“The era of giant corporations juicing profits by underpaying workers is over.”

— Sam Levine, Commissioner, Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (Mirage News)

“New York will not stand by while large corporations break the law and take advantage of the working class. The minimum pay rate exists because workers deserve dignity, stability, and fair pay.”

— Kristen Gonzalez, State Senator (Mirage News)

“Today is a victory for working-class New Yorkers over corporate greed.”

— Harvey Epstein, Chair, City Council Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection (Mirage News)

“This settlement is a turning point for delivery workers and for justice in this industry.”

— Ligia Guallpa, Executive Director, Worker's Justice Project and Co-Founder, Los Deliveristas Unidos (Mirage News)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Uber Eats to reinstate the 10,000 workers who were wrongfully deactivated.

The takeaway

This settlement represents a major win for New York City's delivery workers, who have long faced exploitation and labor violations from the powerful app companies. It sends a clear message that the city will aggressively enforce labor laws and hold corporations accountable for mistreating their workers, especially vulnerable immigrant communities.