“ALL-OUT-WAR”

Taking a closer look at Mulgrew and Unity’s handling of the Para Respect Check.

In recent quotes to the press, UFT President Michael Mulgrew is threatening “all-out-war” against Mayor Mamdani, just months before we start contract negotiations.

Mulgrew explained this “all-out-war” will happen if the bill for the Para Respect Check is not signed by Mayor Mamdani into law. Mulgrew’s bellicose claim was made unilaterally; without discussion, without a vote, and without the consent of UFT members. The UFT Executive Board and the UFT Delegate Assembly, the highest decision-making body in the UFT, were not convened or consulted to approve such a measure. Whether you love Mamdani or hate him, the threat of “all-out-war” by our white union president against NYC’s first Muslim mayor is especially inappropriate in the current climate of political and racial violence. It will not result in long-term contractual gains for everyday UFT members. It’s an embarrassment to every hard-working, no-nonsense educator in NYC.

Mulgrew has stated legislation through City Council was the only way to make the Para Respect Check happen, but once again Mulgrew is saying something that is not true. Our union can enter collective bargaining with the City at any time. We don’t have to wait for the current contract to expire. At the end of this school year, our union collectively bargained with the City to negotiate $9,500 payments for High School Teachers working in overcrowded classrooms. Nothing has prevented Mulgrew and Unity from mounting a member-driven campaign to collectively bargain for the Paraprofessional Respect Check as well.

As far back as the 2023 contract, our union had $450 million dollars annually that could have been used to fund contractual, fully-pensionable and annual $10,000+ payments for all UFT Paraprofessionals. Instead of working to make it happen, Mulgrew and Unity used the money to fund non-pensionable $1,000 retention bonus checks for all UFT members, along with a one-time $3,000 contract ratification bonus. It was a desperate move by Mulgrew and Unity to pass a 2023 contract with salary “raises” that failed to keep up with the rate of inflation and cost of living in NYC. With that 2023 contract, Mulgrew and Unity negotiated inflation-adjusted pay cuts that have decreased the buying power of UFT members by at least 8%. Can we expect the same incompetence and additional inflation-adjusted pay cuts when Mulgrew and Unity negotiate our 2027 contract? All signs point to yes.

Mamdani has so far not been a strong partner in education. A few of his unforced errors include flip-flopping on mayoral control, selecting a Schools Chancellor with a checkered past of financial mismanagement, and failing to take a strong stand on AI in classrooms. But it’s premature for Mulgrew and Unity to make Mamdani our enemy before the mayor completes a single year in office, and right before we start negotiating with Mamdani for our 2027 contract. Meanwhile, Mulgrew and Unity are playing political footsie with multi-millionaire, former corporate lawyer and current City Council Speaker Julie Menin, who is clearly preparing to run against Mamdani for mayor in 2029. It is increasingly feeling like Mulgrew and Unity are trying to set Mamdani up as the scapegoat for 2027 contract negotiations. The reality is Mulgrew and Unity don’t appear to have a clue, don’t know how to organize, and really don’t appear to be positioned to effectively negotiate our upcoming 2027 contract. Their failure to make good on the Para Respect Check, which was originally promised as an annual $10,000+ payment on top of contractual raises, is a prime example of Mulgrew and Unity’s inability to get the job done.

This coming school year, all UFT members need to be vigilant and active as we enter contract negotiations, and we all need to hold Mulgrew and Unity leadership accountable if (or when) they fail to deliver.

For further reading/listening on this topic:

NY Times: Teachers’ Union Boss Vows ‘All-Out-War’ if Mamdani Doesn’t Back Bonuses

EdNotes Online: Marc Kagan, Mamdani’s Favorite HS Teacher Sends a Message Re: Para Bill

Educators of NYC: When Mulgrew and Menin’s Politics Become the Members’ Politics

Talk Out of School: The NYC Para Bill and A Conversation with Para Organizer Alyson Monzon