“City Council Speaker Christine Quinn cooled the debate over a sick leave bill on Thursday, effectively killing it before it came up for a vote . . . The NYS Paid Sick Leave Coalition, a supporter of the bill, called Quinn’s move a ‘stunning abandonment of working mothers and parents and the progressive women who have supported her from day one.'”

“Not passing the (sick pay) bill disproportionately affects immigrant and low-income workers, often forcing them to choose between taking care of their sick children or being terminated.”  – Lawyer Bryan Pu-Folkes

“Ms. Quinn killed a bill that would require small businesses to offer their employees paid sick leave, even though a majority of the Council-those members to whom Ms. Quinn owes her job-supported it. Afterward, her potential 2013 rivals excoriated Ms. Quinn for turning her back on working people.”

“Ms. Quinn is someone that I thought would be an advocate for people, but it turns out that she is more interested in trying to position herself for a run for mayor.” – Norman Seabrook, head of Corrections Officers Union.

“A prominent support of the legislation, Gloria Steinem, said ‘Speaker Quinn had a chance to really improve the lives of working women, especially low-income women, and chose not to.'”