City Council Speaker Christine Quinn is cutting the Related Companies a break from the living wage legislation.
The New York Times reported that Quinn has added an exemption to the living wage bill, which would require commercial projects that get city funding to pay employees a “living wage” of at least $10 per hour with benefits, that doesn’t require most of the Hudson Yards development to comply.
Proponents of the controversial bill, which has been heavily opposed by Mayor Bloomberg and the real estate community, were taken aback by the exemption, the Times said, but ultimately would be amenable to the exemption if the rest of the bill passes. Other advocates, including Quinn, emphasized that the language of the law is still being finalized.
Regardless, the Times used the exemption as another example of the fine line Quinn is walking in preparation for her mayoral run. Related employees have donated $34,200 to Quinn’s campaign. [NYT]