New York’s powerful teachers’ union is trying to go around City Hall to boost pay for special-education staffers to the tune of $10,000 a year.
United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew threw his support behind a proposed City Council bill that would essentially surpass contract negotiations with the Adams administration.
“The pay system New York City currently uses does not recognize paraprofessionals’ work and impact,” Mulgrew said as he stood with 12 lawmakers on the steps of City Hall Thursday.
“This legislation seeks to right that wrong,” he said about the bill, which has yet to be formally introduced to the council.
“Many paraprofessionals work one-on-one with children with autism, visual impairments, medical needs, or special education needs. Without them, our special needs students don’t receive the education they are entitled to,” Mulgrew added, claiming the current pay system is flawed.
The city had waved off the request for raises, with officials saying they’ll discuss the “economic demands” when the contract — negotiated as part of generous pay hikes with UFT in June 2023 — expires in late 2027.
“New York City’s paraprofessional are crucial in the educational experience of our families, and we recognize the importance of ensuring fair compensation for all members of our educational workforce,” city spokesperson Allison Maser said.
“That is why the Adams administration provided wage increases and other benefits to paraprofessionals in the current round of collective bargaining. We look forward to discussing all of the union’s economic demands in the next round of collective bargaining.”
Ken Girardin, research director of the Albany-based government watchdog group Empire Center for Public Policy, labeled the move from Mulgrew as an “abuse.”
“Giving raises through the City Council bypasses collective bargaining. It defeats the purpose of collective bargaining if the union can get their buddies elected and change the contract terms,” he said.
“Collective bargaining comes at great expense to the taxpayers. That said, this abuse just makes it worse.”
But Giardin believes that it’s a “legal” avenue the union can take.
Mulgrew, who has been union boss since 2009, is also up for re-election this year and was recently dealt a severe blow to his campaign after taking on the UFT’s Retired Teachers Chapter over retirees’ health coverage.
The faction oversees about 300 union seats, who carry a crucial vote and administration powers, while repping tens of thousands of retired teachers and other educators such as guidance counselors and paraprofessionals.
Unlike other unions, thousands of retirees are allowed to vote in UFT elections.
His move to get a pay bump for paraprofessionals also raised eyebrows among some conservative lawmakers.
“Mulgrew has not been able to get his way in pulling the rug out from city retirees the last few years so now he’s finally pivoting to his actual job: fighting for the interests of members,” Councilwoman Inna Vernikov (R-Brooklyn) said to The Post.
“It’s like showing up to class in the last five minutes, it may not work so well.”
