How much is remote work worth? New York City is about to find out.

In his first major labor negotiation as mayor, Eric Adams agreed to allow remote work for some city workers, a concession that recognizes the new realities of the workplace. But the precedent could prove to be costly as other unions eye additional compensation for employees who cannot work from home.

A tentative contract agreement reached this month with District Council 37, New York City’s largest municipal workers union, includes a pilot program for flexible schedules to begin by June 1, which others may try to replicate or use as a bargaining chip.

“This is potentially a source of tension within the unions as well as between them,” said Joshua Freeman, a labor historian at CUNY. “Is there some compensation that those workers who can't work remotely will get? That’s a little unclear.”

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