By Matt Chaban 3/30/12 2:03pm

Mr. Ross' Neighborhood

The eastern section (at right) would be exempted from the living wage bill. (Related)

Speaker Quinn Gives Steve Ross a Hug? Hudson Yards Bounced from Living Wage Bill to Help Build Commercial Towers

Steve Ross sure knows his way around City Hall (part of the reason he has become one of the most successful developers of his generation). From his start in affordable housing to megadevelopments like the Time Warner Center, Hunter’s Point South in Queens and Hudson Yards, Mr. Ross, chairman of the Related Companies, always seems to get just what he wants when the city is involved. One sore spot was the fight over the Kingsbridge Armory, in the Bronx, which was unexpectedly rejected by the City Council three years ago.

The fight centered around whether workers at the armory project, which was to receive a considerable amount of public subsidies, would have to be paid more than minimum wage, something labor unions were lobbying heavily for. That fight led to the eventual proposal of a living wage bill. In an unexpected, if unsurprising, twist, it now turns out City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has carved a portion of Hudson Yards out of the living wage bill, according to The Times. Read More

By The Editors 1/17/12 7:08pm

opinion

Ms. Quinn’s Lousy Compromise

Perhaps it would have been better if Council Speaker Christine Quinn simply came out in favor of the so-called “living wage” bill without any changes or revisions. At least she would have been taking a stand. Not a very smart stand, but a stand all the same.

Instead, the speaker has cobbled together a bill that is being touted as a “compromise.” Read More

By The Editors 12/07/11 7:54am

opinion

Quinn's Test of Leadership

The millionaire’s tax—which places a surcharge on people who are not millionaires—isn’t the only poorly named piece of legislation under debate in New York. The City Council recently held hearings on a terrible government mandate called the “living wage” bill. The bill would force private companies working on government-subsidized construction projects to pay employees $10 per hour plus health benefits, or $11.50 without benefits. The minimum wage currently is $7.25.

The “living wage” bill would be, in fact, a job-destruction bill. Read More