Education Active Updated Aug 21, 2026
The paraprofessionals' raise fight
The City Council's Respect Check law gives 26,000 school paraprofessionals a one-time $10,000 raise, but Mayor Mamdani, who supported the pay bump as a candidate, is suing to block it, arguing it sidesteps collective bargaining. The fight decides whether the first installment of the roughly $325 million raise reaches paraprofessionals as scheduled in January 2027.
The story so far
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Aug 21, 2026 Latest
Mayor Mamdani's administration sued the City Council to block the $10,000 bonus for the city's 26,000 school paraprofessionals, arguing the Respect Check law illegally bypasses collective bargaining.
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Aug 20, 2026
The City Council's Respect Check law giving 26,000 school paraprofessionals a one-time $10,000 raise took effect after Mayor Mamdani declined to sign or veto it, and City Hall said it will sue, arguing the law sidesteps collective bargaining. UFT President Michael Mulgrew said the union wrote the law specifically to survive that argument, and the city estimates the raise will cost roughly $325 million, paid in four installments from January to August 2027.
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