FAQ on the proposed City Council legislation
Members of the New York City Council announced proposed legislation to give every UFT-represented paraprofessional a permanently recurring annual payment of $10,000 or more.
This proposed legislation is part of our ongoing work to give paraprofessionals the respect and money they deserve for the valuable work they do for our most vulnerable students.
Here are answers to questions you may have about the proposed legislation:
What is the proposed legislation?
This proposed legislation, if passed, would put an additional $10,000 into the pockets of paraprofessionals annually and begin to undo some of the damage that the unfair practice of pattern bargaining has caused members of the Paraprofessionals Chapter. Substitute paraprofessionals would receive a prorated amount based on the number of days they work.
The proposed legislation would create a separate "para pay index" outside of contract bargaining that would provide classroom paraprofessionals and substitute paraprofessionals, on a pro-rata basis, with an additional $10,000 annually. While it would be separate from a paraprofessional’s regular salary and would not be pensionable, this payment would be a start on closing the inequitable gap in pay that our paras are experiencing. This proposed legislation would ensure these annual payments outside of our bargaining agreement cannot be touched. This proposed legislation is part of our ongoing work to give paraprofessionals more money and end a practice that has harmed our lowest-paid members.
How bad is the pay gap for paraprofessionals?
Our paraprofessionals have a starting salary of just under $32,000 which is impossible to survive on in this city. The city’s insistence on pattern bargaining, in which all city workers get the same percentage increases, has done incredible damage to the lowest paid employees. The fact is the same 3% increase translates to a much higher dollar amount for higher-paid DOE employees than it does for our paraprofessionals. A 3% increase for a starting paraprofessional is roughly $900, while for the highest paid principals it is roughly $6,500. Over the decades, due to this broken system, the pay gap between the highest-paid principals and the lowest-paid UFT members — our paraprofessionals — has grown appallingly wide.
How much money will I get if this proposed legislation becomes law? How is the amount determined?
If the proposed legislation becomes law, every full-time paraprofessional would receive a check for $10,755 this calendar year (see chart below). Substitute paraprofessionals would receive a prorated amount based on the number of days worked. The annual payment amount would be determined through a formula that compares the highest principal salary and the lowest paraprofessional salary over the past 20 years. The payment would be higher than $10,000 some years due to fluctuations in the formula, but it would never dip below $10,000.
Why is the money not pensionable?
Salaries, which are pensionable, must be negotiated through collective bargaining. With this proposed legislation, we can give paraprofessionals immediate financial relief this year, rather than waiting until 2027 when we will begin negotiations on a new contract. Moreover, we are not financing these payments with the finite sum available to us for all members in collective bargaining. Finally, the City Council is legally not allowed to change worker salaries or working conditions, but this payment would fall outside the terms or conditions of our contract.
Why can’t we negotiate this payment in a contract?
We will continue to negotiate pay increases for paraprofessionals and all UFT titles through collective bargaining, but our current contract does not expire until 2027. We are going outside collective bargaining because pattern bargaining, in which all city workers get the same percentage increases, has failed our paraprofessionals. The fact is the same 3% increase translates to a much higher dollar amount for higher-paid DOE employees than it does for our paraprofessionals, so paraprofessionals fall farther and farther behind. We would never be able to get this large and immediate amount of money for paraprofessionals within the constraints of collective bargaining without other union members giving up their own raises. It is the city’s responsibility to give paraprofessionals the money we know they all deserve. It’s unacceptable to us for the city to say that other UFT members are responsible for giving paraprofessionals a raise. We will not allow the city to pit members against members.
How would I receive this payment if the proposed legislation passes?
We would work with the DOE to figure out how and when this payment is distributed. It might appear as a supplemental check.
How would this money be taxed?
This money would be taxed as a supplemental payment. As a result, more taxes may be initially withheld, but your final tax rate at the end of the year would be adjusted based on your total income (salary plus bonuses plus other income). If the tax that was withheld is higher than what you owe based on your total income for the entire year, you would get a tax refund from the IRS.
Why would paraprofessionals receive this payment and not other UFT titles?
This payment to paraprofessionals would address the pay gap that has increased over the decades. Our paraprofessionals deserve more money for the valuable work they do.
How would this proposed legislation be funded?
This money would come from the city’s general funds and not from the collective bargaining reserve. Between November 2024 and January 2025, the city “found” over $8 billion in additional funds to cover city expenses.
How can I help the effort to get this proposed legislation passed?
Sign and share our petition asking the City Council to pass this proposed legislation.