Mayoral candidate Bill Thompson flip-flopped on the controversial living-wage bill yesterday, backing off his earlier opposition and announcing he now supports the measure passed by the City Council this week.
The former city comptroller said he reversed course because of what he called dramatic concessions made to the proposed legislation that was passed in a 45-5 vote.
Thompson initially refused to support the bill, and because of his opposition, he wasn’t invited to a massive City Hall rally with lawmakers and labor leaders Monday to celebrate its passage.
“I have always been supportive of good-paying jobs for New Yorkers and am supportive of legislation,” Thompson said of the bill.
But Thompson said he changed his mind several months ago, after he learned nonprofit organizations and their tenants would be exempt.
The bill would require developers that receive $1 million or more in city subsidies to pay their workers $10 an hour plus benefits, or $11.50 without benefits.
Mayor Bloomberg has promised to veto the bill, which he has said would hinder new job creation in the city. But the council has enough votes to override a veto.
Meanwhile, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, another likely contender for mayor, slammed Council Speaker Christine Quinn — a potential rival next year — for walking out of Monday’s rally when someone called the mayor “Pharaoh Bloomberg.”
“I know she has often had a challenge in terms of when to disagree with the mayor and when not and I think that that contradiction was showing [Monday],” de Blasio said.