POLITICAL ARENA

Councilman Oliver Koppell has changed his living wage bill — again. Changes he hopes will finally move it to the city council floor.

The Fair Wages for New Yorkers Act — which would require developers that receive taxpayer subsidies to pay workers $10 per hour with benefits or $11.50 without — was originally introduced by Mr. Koppell and his colleague, Councilwoman Annabel Palma, in 2010, in the aftermath of a fight between Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. on the development of the Kingsbridge Armory.

After a year of back and forth, Mr. Koppell reintroduced the bill in January with changes that would exempt not-for-profit organizations, affordable housing projects and small businesses that made less than $1 million annually. But that did not convince opponents of the bill.

This round of changes — which Mr. Koppell said was a direct result of testimony given at the May 12 public hearing — is much more severe.

Developers who receive taxpayer subsidies of more than $1 million would be required to pay living wage jobs, up from bill’s original threshold of $100,000.

Small businesses earning $5 million or less in revenue will be exempt, up from $1 million. All manufacturing companies will be exempt from the rule, which switches the bill’s entire focus to retail jobs.

Other changes include making record keeping easier in keeping with state requirements; reducing the length of the living wage requirement from 30 years to 10 years or the life of the subsidies; exempting commercial tenants in certain affordable housing units as well as “as of right subsidies,” which companies automatically receive for meeting certain criteria.

Mr. Koppell told The Riverdale Press that he plans to introduce the legislation this week.

He said he does not think the amendments change the main focus of the bill.

“It’s more limited but it’s still worthy,” he said.

Some compromises are ones Mr. Koppell said he wishes he didn’t have to make.