Overview
Steptoe's Chair of the Labor practice group Alan Klinger, partner Dina Kolker, and associate Alex Langer authored an op-ed in The Chief titled "Pattern Bargaining Wasn't Intended to be a Straitjacket – Here’s How We Fix It." In this op-e, they discuss how New York City's upcoming round of public-sector bargaining is renewing debate over the city's long-standing use of "pattern bargaining," with critics arguing that the rigid approach has contributed to wage inequities, recruitment challenges, and retention issues among essential workers despite its role in promoting fiscal predictability. They advocate for a more flexible framework that would allow targeted departures from bargaining patterns and propose tools such as a Wage Equity Panel to address workforce shortages, pay disparities, and living-wage concerns while preserving the benefits of coordinated labor negotiations.
Read more at The Chief.
