Quinn axes loophole from living wage bill

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn removed a previously undisclosed loophole from the “living wage” bill that would allow the mayor’s office to waive the compensation requirements for workers whose companies receive subsidies from New York City, the New York Times reported.

As a result, the Partnership for New York City, a prominent business group that had pledged to support the bill, reversed course within minutes.

“Without a waiver provision, this legislation is not consistent with the best interests of the city and particularly of its lowest-income communities,” said Kathryn Wylde, the group’s president. As a result, the partnership must withdraw our support of this bill.”

While the exemption remains in place for the Related Companies’ Hudson Yards project, future developers can no longer seek the exemption for big development deals in the city.

The Times noted that the unpublicized loophole was crucial to the appearance that mayoral candidate Christine Quinn could broker deals in the interest of both businessmen and labor advocates. But her pro-business chops are now being called into questions. [NYT]