Controversial Raise for Teaching Assistants Revealed

On Friday, it was disclosed that Michael Mulgrew, who leads the influential United Federation of Teachers, was instrumental in pushing for a City Council initiative aimed at increasing teaching assistants’ salaries by $10,000, all while the education budget remains considerably high.

Mulgrew allegedly encouraged supporters in the City Council, including Speaker Julie Menin, to endorse a bill that proposed these salary hikes without going through the usual union negotiations, according to three sources familiar with the discussions.

However, critics are concerned that this could set a risky precedent regarding collective bargaining, potentially opening the door for other unions to make similar financial demands. “This is not just a bad idea; it’s a dangerous precedent,” remarked Nicole Gelinas, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute.

“Are we really going to do this for every union we can’t reach a deal with?” she added.

Sources indicate that Mulgrew and his allies in the City Council devised this strategy after facing significant leadership challenges last year, particularly regarding paraprofessional pay during negotiations.

This new bill means additional funding for public schools, supplementing the Department of Education’s already considerable budget of $38.6 billion, the largest for any city government.

The finalized bill received unanimous approval from the council on Thursday and aligns with Menin’s political aspirations as she reportedly considers running against Mayor Zoran Mamdani in the upcoming 2029 Democratic mayoral primary.

Gelinas pointed out the irony, saying, “The City Council presents itself as moderate, but their spending plans surpass those of the mayor.”

Although Mamdani initially supported wage increases during his 2025 mayoral campaign, he has since changed his stance. He expressed reservations on Thursday, emphasizing that salary increments should ideally be handled through collective negotiations.

Now, the spotlight is on whether Mamdani will sign the bill into law or choose a veto that could harm his political standing. He has a month to make a decision: sign it, veto it, or do nothing and let it take effect.

“The mayor finds himself in a challenging situation,” a source noted. “If he vetoes this, could he end up joining a major lawsuit?”

“If he’s not going to veto it, he’d better distance himself from the unions looking for Congressional support. If they don’t object, what purpose do unions serve?”

The situation surrounding paraprofessionals is particularly troubling. Their entry-level salary of $32,000 annually has become a contentious issue, prompting Mulgrew to back this new bill to increase the base salary by $10,000.

According to officials, the introduction of this bill serves as an opportunity for Mulgrew to demonstrate his commitment to fighting for teaching assistants, especially as he navigates leadership challenges from former ally Amy Arundel. Despite his efforts, Mulgrew failed to secure a raise this year, as the union only managed increases up to $9,500 for teachers impacted by the delays in New York’s class size mandate.

“It’s not as if this problem just appeared overnight,” a source pointed out. “If he genuinely cared about these staff members, he would have found a way to ensure they receive better pay.”

City councilors have reiterated their commitment to raising paraprofessional salaries after Mamdani’s administration scrapped a previous raise proposal amid discussions over the city’s substantial $126 billion budget.

Menin, although considered moderate, seemed eager to apply pressure on the socialist Mamdani.

Mamdani, in turn, had previously employed similar tactics in defending the expansion of the housing voucher program, which he deemed too costly.

Democratic Party officials labeled the unanimous passage of the paraprofessional bill as “a typical City Council maneuver.”

“I’m not saying it represents an uprising, but when there’s a class of city employees that remain underrepresented, don’t be surprised if the City Council or state legislature steps in to address funding issues for collective bargaining statewide,” an insider remarked.

“Politically, it makes sense, but it adds further complications.”

A representative from City Hall reiterated Mamdani’s belief that wage increases should be approached through collective bargaining, emphasizing that the council’s bill violates the state’s bargaining laws.

“My administration is carefully reviewing the bill’s final language to determine our next steps,” the spokesperson added.

The wage bill, projected to cost $324 million over the course of two years, might, according to a City Council spokesperson, ultimately yield savings for the city by reducing expenses related to the “Carter case,” where parents resort to private schooling when public institutions fail to meet their children’s needs.

“The city is currently spending $1.5 billion on the Carter case, but that figure could significantly decrease if paraprofessional salaries were increased and the 1,600 vacant paraprofessional positions were filled,” the spokesperson explained.

“Nevertheless, this issue should ideally be settled through collective bargaining, and we urge the Mayor to engage with the UFT to repeal this bill.”

A spokesperson for the UFT did not pursue any charges against Mulgrew, stating, “We need to verify the facts from the original source.”