The claims that the council鈥檚 approval of bonuses for some of the city鈥檚 lowest-paid school employees is unlawful because it bypasses the traditional collective bargaining process. 

The bill, passed unanimously July 16, automatically became law Wednesday after Mamdani failed to sign or veto it. If he had vetoed the legislation, it would have gone back to the council and members could have overturned his veto with a two-thirds vote.

Similar legislation introduced last year was backed by the United Federation of Teachers in an effort to address the city鈥檚 paraprofessional shortage. After the bill failed to move out of committee, it was in February by multiple council members. 

New paraprofessionals earn in the city. The pay scale tops out near $57,000 for paraprofessionals with a bachelor鈥檚 degree and 15 years of service. Over the past 20 years, have increased nearly $12,000 for paraprofessionals, while the highest-paid principals have seen raises totaling $86,000. The bonus pay law will give full-time paraprofessionals four payments of $2,500 throughout the 2026-27 school year. 

The union said in a that the legislation was carefully drafted to ensure it didn鈥檛 violate the city鈥檚 . Michael Mulgrew, the union鈥檚 president, that the city鈥檚 claim it was suing to protect employees was 鈥渁 joke.鈥�

鈥淭he city council would not have introduced 鈥� let alone passed 鈥� this bill if it were illegal, and we would not have supported a bill that threatened our collective bargaining rights,鈥� the union said on its . 鈥淥nce again, the city has proven that it cares more about protecting pattern bargaining than protecting the most vulnerable children in our city and the paraprofessionals who keep them safe.鈥�

The new law allows the council to reauthorize stipends each year as long as New York City Public Schools has a paraprofessional shortage or until the city changes the practice of 鈥� a local policy that lets the salary increases negotiated for one municipal union鈥檚 contract set the pattern for all the others.

The union and council members said pattern bargaining has contributed to low paraprofessional pay. Once an initial bargaining pattern is created, it鈥檚 challenging to get the city to grant better terms to another union, according to the .

Mamdani鈥檚 lawsuit argues that by sidestepping the collective bargaining process, the city council set a 鈥減erilous and unlawful precedent with huge fiscal consequences for the Department of Education and the city 鈥� and, by extension, the tax-paying public.鈥�

鈥淚f the paraprofessional pay bill is allowed to stand, other public employees will undoubtedly seek their own ‘stabilization’ payments from the council, also outside of the collective bargaining process, or otherwise use council proposals for such payments as leverage over that process,鈥� the lawsuit said.

Marie Wausnock is a New York City paraprofessional who co-founded Fix Para Pay, a union caucus that opposes Mulgrew. She said several paraprofessionals oppose the bonuses as a way to bump wages because the money does not count toward pensions and is currently approved only for the 2026-27 school year.

鈥淵ou know what鈥檚 going to happen? I鈥檓 sure they will have people who will want to become a para. Because they鈥檒l get an extra $10,000,鈥� she told 社区黑料. 鈥淭hey’re going to work for a year. They won鈥檛 really see what the job is about, and if they won鈥檛 have another $10,000 [the following year], they’re leaving.鈥�

City Council Speaker Julie Menin said in a Wednesday press release that council members unanimously approved the paraprofessional bonuses and that it鈥檚 unacceptable for some employees to receive only a $32,000 salary to support some of the district鈥檚 highest-need students.

鈥淭his law is not only the right thing to do, it is also the fiscally responsible thing to do, helping address the staffing shortages that contribute to the city鈥檚 $1.5 billion in Carter case costs,鈥� she said.

New York City spends more than $1 billion annually on what are called 鈥� legal claims that allow parents to enroll children with disabilities in private school and seek tuition reimbursement from the district on grounds that it failed to provide an appropriate education, as required by law. 

Multiple city council members during the July 16 vote that the stipends are necessary as a first step toward solving the district鈥檚 paraprofessional shortage. New York City Public Schools was short more than 1,500 support staff last year. 

鈥淭his is not the answer,鈥� Wausnock said. 鈥淭he answer is fixing our longevity [pay increases]. It鈥檚 fixing our base pay.鈥�

Similar legislation introduced last year was backed by the United Federation of Teachers in an effort to address the city鈥檚 paraprofessional shortage. After the bill failed to move out of committee, it was in February by multiple council members. 

If Mamdani signs the bill, full-time paraprofessionals will receive four payments of $2,500 throughout the 2026-27 school year. The allows the council to reauthorize stipends each year as long as New York City Public Schools has a paraprofessional shortage or until the city changes the practice of 鈥� a local policy that lets the salary increases negotiated for one municipal union’s contract set the pattern for all the others.

The United Federation of Teachers and council members said pattern bargaining has contributed to low paraprofessional pay.

鈥淥nce the initial bargaining pattern is established, it becomes an enormous challenge to get the city to grant significantly better terms to another union,鈥� the United Federation of Teachers said on its .

New paraprofessionals earn roughly $32,000 in the city. Over the past 20 years, have increased nearly $12,000 for paraprofessionals but top $86,000 for the highest-paid principals.

鈥淲e are going to pass this bill and we are going to put it on the desk of the mayor of New York City saying that the paraprofessionals have been unjustly treated and we are in a crisis,鈥� said UFT President Michael Mulgrew at a at New York City Hall on Thursday. 鈥淎nd the paraprofessionals are dealing with that crisis each and every day with their work, going above and beyond, and now it鈥檚 time for our city to act and do the right thing.鈥�

Mamdani supported the bill while campaigning but expressed concern after he took office, compensation should be handled only in the collective bargaining process. He has 30 days to decide whether to sign the bill, according to the . If he vetoes it, the legislation will go back to the council, and members can override his veto with a two-thirds vote. If he doesn鈥檛 sign or veto the bill, it will become law.

Priscilla Castro, president of the paraprofessional chapter of the United Federation of Teachers, said several paras from each New York City borough gathered at City Hall as the bill went through a committee vote. 

鈥淭oday, we鈥檙e making a change. It鈥檚 a movement. We will not stop until we get this legislation passed and bring it home,鈥� she .

During the council vote, members said paraprofessional pay raises were overdue and are crucial to rewarding some of the hardest-working school employees in the city.

Shirley Aldebol, chair of the council committee that passed the bill, said during voting on Thursday that the payments are the first step toward fixing the city鈥檚 paraprofessional staffing crisis. New York City Public Schools was short more than 1,500 support staff last year. 

鈥淧araprofessionals are critical members of our school environment, providing instructional, behavioral and physical support to students with disabilities,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 have a deep respect for the collective bargaining process. This bill’s structure does not interfere, in my view, with mandatory subjects of collective bargaining, as it does not attempt to legislate wages or benefits and matters that must be resolved at the bargaining table.鈥�