A monthslong UFT initiative to reach out to retired paraprofessionals, connect them with union services and support, and encourage them to get involved in the Retired Teachers Chapter culminated with a meet and greet at UFT headquarters on Sept. 19.

“We make a difference” was the theme at the UFT’s Paraprofessionals Festival and Awards Luncheon on March 5, celebrating paraprofessionals for rising to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last held in person in 2019, the luncheon was held at...

Find out more about the lead teacher assistant (lead educational associate) position for paraprofessionals.

As a paraprofessional, you are a critical part of the New York City school system. The support you provide every day to students, teachers and your school community is invaluable. We want to take this moment to thank you for all of the hard work you...

Small union contingents led by paraprofessionals met with New York City Council members throughout March to lobby them to support the RESPECT check legislation.

Every three years, you have an opportunity to elect a school chapter leader, a paraprofessional representative for your school as well as the leadership of the citywide Paraprofessionals Chapter.

Several hundred paraprofessionals who contribute to COPE, the union’s political action fund, attended a performance of Suffs, the Broadway musical about women’s battle for the right to vote, as an expression of thanks from the UFT.

A new procedure negotiated by the United Federation of Teachers has led to a dramatic decrease in the number of oversize classes in the schools.

The UFT calls for more flexibility in the nomination of substitute teachers and paraprofessionals, and for the DOE to consider a Hard-to-Staff differential for substitutes serving schools that have had difficulty filling positions.

This is our first contract negotiation since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the first with this mayor and his schools chancellor. We have been preparing for this round of bargaining for eight months.

These resources for paraprofessionals working in the 2022 Summer Rising program outline protocol for working with students with disabilities.

Three-quarters of the UFT members who cast ballots ratified a new contract that raises members’ salaries by 17.58% to 20.42% when compounded and gives educators more say over how and where they spend their out-of-classroom time. The agreement marked...

More than 1 million federal workers may lose their collective bargaining rights after the Trump administration canceled their contracts at the Internal Revenue Service, the Office of Comptroller of the Currency, and the Department of Energy in...

A new contract between the United Food and Commercial Workers Union and one of the world’s largest meat companies establishes a pension plan — the first new defined-benefit retirement fund in the industry since 1986.

The DOE-UFT contract, ratified on July 10, includes a ratification bonus and new annual retention bonuses in addition to regular across-the-board wage increases. It also boosts reimbursement payments for medical expenses related to an injury on the...

UFT members comment on everything from the value of paraprofessionals to teachers' need for cellphones.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew scoffed at Mayor Adams' claim that the city is "almost broke," and said the union's main focus this year would be to negotiate a fair contract for DOE-employed members.

Educators will rally for a Fair Contract after school in all five boroughs of New York City on Wednesday, May 24.

Low salaries for New York City public schools’ paraprofessionals have led to thousands of vacancies, unserved students and personal financial crises, UFT members said at a March 9 City Council hearing on legislation for an annual $10,000...

The Federation of Nurses/UFT members at Staten Island University Hospital-South ratified a revised contract with Northwell Health that increases wages and steps and puts them on par with nurses at other unions that have negotiated contracts in the...

There are 26,000 paraprofessionals who work in New York City’s public schools. Their work keeps the schools functioning, but their pay does not reflect their impact and value. UFT President Michael Mulgrew and City Council Member Carmen De La Rosa...

Federation of Nurses/UFT members who are licensed practical nurses with VNS Health overwhelmingly ratified a contract on Jan. 27 that provides a 7.5% increase in base pay over two years while establishing the employer’s contractual obligation to...

Just two of this school year’s grievances over excessive class sizes citywide remained unresolved by Thanksgiving — thanks to a powerful provision in the 2018 Department of Education-UFT contract.

More than 4,000 hotel and casino workers on the Las Vegas Strip reached a tentative contract with the Venetian Resort Las Vegas, the latest in a string of recent union victories for over 40,000 hospitality workers on the Strip.


View the winners of the Outstanding Paraprofessional Awards at the 2023 Parafest.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew told delegates at the Delegate Assembly on Nov. 17 that the union plans to seek extensive member input to help shape priorities for upcoming negotiations on the next contract and health care.

In the few short weeks since new City Council members were sworn in, we’ve hit the ground running. Our paraprofessionals have had meetings with at least 12 members of the city council so far and more appointments have been scheduled.

Testimony of Michael Mulgrew, UFT President, Priscilla Castro, Chairperson of the UFT Paraprofessionals Chapter, and others delivered in support of the "RESPECT check" bill for New York City paraprofessionals before the New York City Council.

Testimony of Michael Mulgrew, UFT President, Priscilla Castro, Chairperson of the UFT Paraprofessionals Chapter, and others delivered in support of the "RESPECT check" bill for New York City paraprofessionals at the Nov. 13, 2025 City Council hearing...

The UFT Contract Negotiating Committee, made up of over 600 members, will begin in June to chart union strategy for negotiating the next DOE-UFT contract.

Each year, the UFT recognizes outstanding paraprofessionals who have made contributions to their school, their community and their union. Please use the link below to nominate a full-time paraprofessional for this award. The nomination deadline is...

A Brooklyn paraprofessional says passage of the "RESPECT," saying she and her colleagues deserve to be shown they're valued.

UFT members are prepared to fight for the contract they deserve. That was the message resonating across the city on Jan. 30, as educators gathered in their schools for “teach-ins” led by members of each school’s Contract Action Team.

Take principals out of play. A school counselor counsels the DOE about how best to address the paraprofessional shortage.

The Delegate Assembly of the UFT votes to encourage members of all titles to sign the petition to support the Respect Check legislation, alert parent associations about how parents can show support, and hold a day of action on November 13th, 2025.

The UFT will continue to raise our collective voices towards achieving a fair, just and representative contract.