Let's fight for the respect we deserve

Over the decades, the pay gap between the highest-paid principals and the lowest-paid UFT members — our paraprofessionals — has grown appallingly wide.Our RESPECT check would give every UFT-represented paraprofessional a permanently recurring annual payment of $10,000 or more.

It’s a new year, but the fight for our paraprofessional RESPECT check continues. The good news: Our new City Council speaker, Julie Menin, as well as our new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, are both supporters of the RESPECT check for our paraprofessionals. 

As soon as the new City Council was sworn in this January, our UFT political action coordinators (PACs) and our paraprofessional coordinators began meetings with the council members to educate them on the importance of the paraprofessional RESPECT check and confirm their continued support. We are setting up more meetings with paraprofessionals from our schools to make sure their voices continue to make an impact.

We will not stop until our RESPECT check legislation is passed.

The proposed legislation before the City Council, if passed, would 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 pay disparity needs to be addressed now. It’s a matter of equity, fairness and RESPECT.

Our special education survey in the fall spotlighted the serious shortage of paraprofessionals in New York City public schools. Without offering more money, the DOE cannot hope to retain and recruit enough paraprofessionals.

Please join us in the fight ahead to pass this legislation. Together, we can win.