Something I don't think anyone has brought up yet... How long until Amazon starts getting hit with the same employee/contractor lawsuits that Ground has endured? Whatever issues there were with Ground wielding too much direct control over drivers, I'm sure they exist with Amazon and the drivers that are contracted to work for them.
Good point Dano. If you notice Bezos does not describe the participants as independent contractors but as "Amazon Delivery Partners" . No mention anywhere of being independent or contractors.
It would therefore appear that he and his lawyers have devised a new legal angle to his latest little scheme that might withstand the legal challenges certain to come.
There will not doubt be a few areas of the country where an ADP will make out in a satisfactory manner while they will certainly be as many if not more who will loose big time and they would be the most likely to litigate. Keep in mind though there will be very few if any of the aptly described "converted delivery men" involved but rather the investor class group who will have Bezos and this latest creation equally vetted and examined before getting into it.
No question there will be people and entities who will be negatively impacted and likely first among them will be the X contractors currently operating in the metro areas Bezos has targeted who could end up becoming nothing more than driver training centers for people who will move over to the ADP's as soon as they have documented experience.