YES, I CAN -- The Triumph of the UFT's Classroom Paraprofessionals
Jan 12, 2001 2:51 PM
A New Partnership
From the para's very first contract dispute in 1970, the UFT showed that the paras' fight was everyone's fight. Negotiations were going nowhere until teachers voted to strike on behalf of their paraprofessional colleagues.This show of union solidarity was a giant step in forging a bond of trust and collegiality between the two previously wary groups.
After that strike vote and the first paraprofessional contract in 1970, their alliance in the UFT ushered in profound changes in the lives of thousands of New York City paras and hundreds of thousands of their students.
In that first contract, the UFT negotiated a significant anti-poverty provision of its own-a career ladder program that remains unequaled. The Board of Education pays for up to six college credits per semester, gives time off during working hours for higher education and provides a stipend during summer sessions.By learning more, paras began to assume more responsibilities and earn higher salaries-and launch themselves on a path that has led thousands to become teachers over the years.
In addition, the first agreement nearly tripled paraprofessional wages. By1972, the UFT had added paid vacation, sick leave, extended health care and dental and optical benefits along with grievance procedures. In 1983, the union won another major advance for paras-the option of joining the New York City Teachers' Retirement System, with pension, disability and vesting rights;they also got the right to buy pension credit for service rendered before enactment of the law. And the union has committed itself to continue to seek wages and benefits that truly reflect the contribution of classroom paraprofessionals.
With the UFT in their corner, paras have made greater gains in a shorter time than any other group of employees in city history, rising from minimum wage jobs to a dignified career with highly desirable benefits.
Along the way, the school system became convinced of their worth. In 1976,Congress required public schools to educate all handicapped children. Faced with the challenge of instructing tens of thousands of handicapped children who needed specialized attention and an abundance of sensitivity and compassion, New York's Board of Education turned to paraprofessionals. The numbers of paras soared - along with the quality of education for youngsters (many of whom had previously been relegated to institutions).
