From the Daily News:Under a bill introduced Wednesday in the City Council by Oliver Koppell (D-Bronx) and Annabel Palma (D-Bronx), developers and others who benefit from city subsidies for their property deals will have to pay a living wage for the ensuing jobs that are created.
The bill would accomplish by law what community activists and members of the Bronx Council delegation have been trying to impose - for the first time ever in the city - on the Related Companies, the city-chosen developer of the long-vacant Bronx armory.
Backers of the new bill say its passage would avoid future fights like the Kingsbridge Armory battle by making a living wage a citywide mandate rather than targeting one developer as a test case.
A living wage is defined as $10 an hour plus benefits or $11.50 without benefits, as compared to the minimum wage of $7.25.
Those pushing for a living wage, as part of a community benefits agreement with the developer, argued Related was getting "a sweetheart deal" from the city - including $14 million in various tax breaks and exemptions, plus a bargain $5 million purchase price for the city-owned armory.
Such taxpayer-funded largesse should be conditioned on creating more than just marginal-income jobs in the state's poorest borough, according to Bronx officials.
But aides to Mayor Bloomberg and representatives of the Related Companies said a mandated living wage would kill the mall project because potential retail tenants would balk at paying salaries higher than regional competitors.
6 comments:
What a joke. $11.50 an hour tranlates to $402.50 for a 35 hour week. Where are you going to live in NYC with that kind of pay. Just another way the rich get richer and the common man gets walked on.
The biggest problem is that the types of people you get at these wages do the type of work you can expect.
Who defined $10.00/hr as a living wage in NYC? A shithole studio in Flushing is about $1000.00/month.
Let Bloomberg and his cronies work for $11.50 and hour. I'm starting to understand the demonstrators at the economic world meetings.THIS IS SUCH BULLS**T.
Let Bloomberg and his cronies work for $11.50 and hour. I'm starting to understand the demonstrators at the economic world meetings.THIS IS SUCH BULLS**T.
Mind you, the 10 or 11 dollars an hour is a RAISE. They are actually making minimum wage. With the quality of the help you can buy for that money do you see how I earned my name?
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