The following notification was emailed to all members as part of the UFT Update on Jan. 15, 2026:

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

On Jan. 8, as soon as the new City Council was sworn in, our UFT political action coordinators (PACs) and our paraprofessional coordinators began meetings with the council members to educate them on the importance of the 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 are asking the lawmakers to sign a pledge of support for the RESPECT check, and our conversations are confirming that the overwhelming support is still there and stronger than ever. 

The difference? We now have a speaker who does not want to block the legislation. The path forward is clear, and your work matters. 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.