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Hours after the para pay bump became law the City announced it was challenging the law in the courts.
The pay bump was introduced in the City Council over a year ago, hearings, numerous tweaks and a final approval 49-0. The Mayor could sign, veto or allow the bill to become law, he chose the third option and immediately filed a lawsuit claiming the law was bypassing the Taylor Law, the law regulating public employee labor relations in New York State.
At the point at which the Mayor’s staff said the proposal violated the law Mulgrew said, “We’re going to war with the Mayor”
During his campaign Mamdani supported the pay boost, opposed mayoral control, and promised to select a new chancellor with teacher and parent input, all wiped away upon his election.
Does the mayor feel the victory of his endorsed DSA candidates empower him?
Is he challenging all the city unions in the upcoming labor negotiations?
The UFT bailed him out of his budget woes, extended the full implementation of the class size reduction law, saving $$, allowing the city to delay funding pensions for a number of years, saving a few billion in the current budget.
If the union is successful the city could drag out the litigation for a few years, the union could demand pensions be fully funded immediately placing the city in fiscal jeopardy.
The UFT has 190,000 members, active and retired, I believe about 60% live in New York City and the paraprofessionals are primarily women of color.
Mamdani and the DSA refusing to grant wages, unanimously approved by the City Council, could resonate across the nation, the UFT has a powerful media machine.
Yes, other unions are preparing to demand the same pay bumps, the City Council does approve the budget, the pay bump is part of the budget negotiations. I’m sure the city Labor Relations folks felt undercut, if unions can run around the city it weakens the ability of the city to use negotiations to extract givebacks, maybe destroying “pattern bargaining.” Then again the City Council and the Mayor determine the budget, and the Mayor allowed the bill to become law.
Labor Relations could become a free-for-all with each union negotiating with the city separately, there are over 100 city unions.
The repercussions could extend far beyond the para bump issue.
Is there room for a negotiated settlement?
A mayoral spokesperson said the administration is committed to raising paraprofessional pay by other means, “We want to engage in productive conversations with the UFT to permanently address this disparity…” and in a later statement “clarified” these discussions were underway.
Not exactly the way you want to begin a school year.
Any ideas for slogans to wear on t-shirts?
