The following email was sent to all paraprofessionals from UFT President Michael Mulgrew and Priscilla Castro, Paraprofessionals Chapter Chair, on Feb. 24, 2026:

We have big news. Our 2026 version of the RESPECT check bill has been introduced in the City Council! We knew we would make it happen with this new administration, and now we are on the way to finally taking this over the finish line and giving every paraprofessional a recurring annual payment of $10,000.

More importantly, the bill, now called Intro 0692, has an improvement: new language in it that creates a path for the city to eventually make this money a permanent part of our contract. Read the full legislation »

So, what's next?  

1. We can push City Council members to officially sign on. Our paraprofessionals' meetings with the council members these past two months have confirmed that the overwhelming support for this RESPECT check is still there and stronger than ever. Now we make it official.
2. Get the legislation a hearing with the City Council Committee on Civil Service and Labor. Our new speaker, Julie Menin, supports this bill, which will make this much easier than last time.
3. Get the legislation passed by the full City Council.

Your work matters. During every step of this fight, our paraprofessionals have shown up strong and made it impossible for us to be ignored.

Thanks to City Council members Carmen De La Rosa, Lynn Schulman, Rita Joseph and Virginia Maloney for working with us to get this legislation rewritten and introduced. See answers to questions you may have about the proposed legislation in our RESPECT check FAQ.

You can check out the list of council members who have pledged their support for the bill on our RESPECT campaign page and follow @uftparachapter on Instagram for updates on these visits and more.

Stay tuned for more communication as this unfolds. We’ve said it before, and we will say it again: We will not stop until our RESPECT check legislation is passed.