Dear Apoorva Mehta,
After our 3-day walk-off, Instacart Shoppers have a newfound sense of camaraderie, purpose, and solidarity, and we’d like to thank you for bringing us together, as well as for the following:
- We were featured in the New York Times via Reuters, who covered not only one example of our degradation in pay, but compared Instacart unfavorably to the notorious failings of both Uber and WeWork.
- The LA Times ran a piece going into even more detail, further exposing your tactics which we originally brought to light.
- Slate’s piece this week analyzed Instacart’s insidious product design and how your immoral executive direction leads to Shoppers getting the short end of the stick.
- Mashable covered our open letter to you, and at the end wondered aloud if you’d be able to ever look us in the eye.
- Gizmodo reported on our open letter to Dani Dudeck, excellently recapping our grievance with your hypocritical Chief Communications Officer.
- The Daily Beast wrote about your efforts to steal our tips and get away with it.
While Instacart’s response or lack thereof to our walk-off was predictable, what we were surprised by were the number of organizations and friends who have revealed themselves as our allies, and the hundreds of tweets from well-wishers to our cause. We are happy to align ourselves with advocate organizations providing us support and expertise, many of which work with both gig workers and organized labor, and whose goal is like ours — a better condition for those who perform work.
We’ve already met with (or are soon to meet with) tech worker organizers, academic activists, and the San Diego City Attorney’s office, and have direct contact with dozens of journalists who want to keep in touch about how our efforts develop and how yourself and Instacart respond.
Perhaps the most remarkable story to come from this, for us, is that we didn’t start out as professional organizers, nor did we ever imagine ourselves as such — but you’ve somehow managed to turn a mass of everyday people into labor advocates, media figures and highly galvanized operatives who won’t be out of Instacart’s hair anytime soon.
The core concept of your company — the one you sold to investors — that you could utilize the lack of regulation around contractors, and treat them increasingly poorly until they reach a tipping point and rotate out, is now clearly regarded by workers, customers, and the media as an abject failure. It’s likely that you know this too, Apoorva, whether you admit it or not. The last to hear the news seem to be your investors, who you’re certainly doing your best to shield from these events. It’s only a matter of time, really.
In closing, we’ve heard you’re preparing for an Instacart IPO. Good luck with that.
Signed,
Instacart Shoppers
A Belle Graves
Abby Danielle Mahon
Ada Ruth Centonze
Aimee Devereaux-Fringer
Aimee Sanford
Alberta Helen Atkinson
Alex Haines
Alex Traub
Alexandra Alas
Alexis Burger
Alicia Dicorcia
Ally Manzi
Allyce Elizabeth Hernandez
Alysha Alvarado
Alyssa Bauman
Alyssa Longobardi
Amanda Gutschmidt
Amanda Llanos-Giovino
Amanda Nihiser
Amanda Parrack
Amanda S. Harris
Amanda Tryanowski
Amber Bartel
Amber Brice
Amber Dawn
Amberlin Evelyn Springer
Amy Boyle
Amy Marie Anderson
Amy Rogers
Amy Short
Amy Vallett
Ana Williams
Andre Brazil
Andrea Ali
Andrea Harrison
Andrea Makorow
Angee Locqz
Angel Zych
Angela Rohloff
Angie Daniel-Poteet
Angie Jackobs
Angie Kelly
Angie Kufner
Annaliisa Amy Arambula
Annie Marie
Anya Jolene
Anya Stevens Howard
April Stebing
Aqeela Muntaqim
Ariana Marie Diaz
Arianna Tivis
Arietti Diplan Van Houten
Ashley Atwood
Ashley Cameron
Ashley Collier
Ashley Enz
Ashley Hawkins
Ashley Knudson
Ashley Salazar
Astrid Mills
Austin Krebill
Avrom Honig
Barbara Caruso Szabo
Becky Larson
Bello Ragazzo
Beth Ann Beale
Beth Reininger Statt
Bobbie Mudgett
Bobbie Vaughan
Bonnie Stromer
Breelyn Day
Brenda Cohen
Brenda Ferris
Brenda Shaley
Britt Adele
Brittany Hubbard
Bronwyn Judith
Bryann Robinson
Caitlin Portzline
Cammy Hardwig Thompson
Candace Smith
Candy Dellinger Zander
Cara Stidham
Carol Chantiny
Carol Lynden
Cassidy Michelle
Cassie Chandler Moungey
Cassie Little
Cathy Coleman
Celena Baldwin
Celeste Ayotte Kopacek
Cesar Robert Rodriguez
Champale Parks
Charity Day
Charlene Albert
Charlene Pinney
Chester Coleman
Chloe Deogaygay
Chris Kneebone
Chrissy Rose
Christian Alejandro Marino
Christie Kircher
Christina Alexander
Christina Blair
Christina Hertz
Christina L Wideman
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Christina Wilde
Christine Ellis
Christine Gregory
Christine Saxbee
Cici Bee
Claire Buchanan
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Cody Nguyen
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