Four former drivers for Amazon’s Prime Now one-hour delivery service have filed suit against the Seattle company, alleging misuse of the independent contractor designation and demanding full pay and overtime privileges under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

“Amazon’s mission to deliver ‘Now’ at no additional cost to its customers is being funded by the delivery drivers,” Beth Ross, the plaintiffs’ attorney, told Ars Technica. “Unlike the drones that Amazon hopes to eventually replace them with, these drivers are human beings with rent to pay and families to feed.”

According to plaintiff Taree Truong, he was promised $11 an hour plus $2.50 per delivery but Amazon axed the delivery fee in September. He also said that, since everything is paid through a cell phone app, he was cheated out of tips promised him and had no way of verifying what was owed him.


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