Fix Para Pay For Real - No More Backroom Deals
Fix Para Pay, the rank and file paraprofessional slate of the UFT, responds to the proposed City Council legislation by the current UFT leadership to get pay increases through a supplemental bonus.
The following was posted last night by the Fix Para Pay leadership on its Facebook page:
ON BEHALF OF FIX PARA PAY and in the interest of nearly 27,000 paras.....
Fix Para Pay for REAL—No More Backroom Deals!
The UFT has finally taken a step in the right direction with their belated recognition that paraprofessionals deserve better pay. A “potential” $10,000 bonus is a long overdue step and we celebrate any financial relief. It’s about time that para valuable contributions to NYC schools were acknowledged. But let’s be clear—this is happening because of us. This is the result of FIX PARA PAY, our overwhelming historic chapter election win, and our relentless campaign for better pay now!
We fought, made our voices heard, and UFT President Michael Mulgrew had no choice but to listen and respond. Just to be clear, this is an announcement about a bill that has yet to be written, yet to be introduced, and yet to be passed, for money that has never been given to workers by this method in NYC history. It is an idea that a handful of council members HOPE will happen in June's budget negotiations and which City Hall has already stated will NOT happen this way. We believe this move by the current UFT leadership is directly because FIX PARA PAY won the para chapter election last spring and their attempt to win the upcoming UFT leadership election.
Your elected Paraprofessional chapter representatives were never consulted. We were told that we couldn’t even bring up higher wages during the last round of negotiations. We were told the city didn't have money to give us the raises we need and deserve. Now, suddenly, the money appears—but without a guarantee for the future.
It’s important to recognize that this proposed bonus is a blatant election year gimmick and that Mulgrew is trying to buy votes instead of negotiating a contract with real pensionable raises. A bonus does not solve the ongoing problem of low wages that don’t keep up with cost of living. It does not solve the ongoing problem of pensions too meager to retire with dignity. It does not solve the ongoing problem of paras being denied access to LODI and equitable longevity raises.
If the city has the funds to provide this money now, why wasn’t it included in our contract as a real raise, and why weren't these other problems addressed?
This is part of a larger pattern in which UFT leadership refuses to budge unless forced to. Consider -- Mulgrew not only pushed the Medicare Advantage plan, he designed it himself. He ignored the objections of thousands of retirees until they crushed his handpicked puppet in the Retiree Teachers Chapter election last June. It was only then he suddenly reversed course and claimed he now opposed Medicare Advantage. He ignored criticism of the Welfare Fund’s benefit schedule being inadequate until it became clear it was a liability for him. He then decided more of the $800 million he’s sitting on could be put towards alleviating rising costs for UFT members.
The press conference yesterday was his latest sleight of hand designed to distract overworked, underpaid paraprofessionals from the fact that he has done almost nothing for them during his 16 years as UFT president. We know many paraprofessionals see a “potential” $10,000 bonus as an immediate need being met.
The more important issue is this type of “bonus” will never allow paras to live and retire in dignity not to mention violates the tenets of collective bargaining. As reported by Chalkbeat, the Mayor’s office believes this needs to be addressed in the next bargaining session.
We’re not going to let union elites and city bureaucrats cut backroom deals ever again. Paras keep this city’s schools running, and we deserve real respect—not temporary fixes. If Mulgrew and the city think they can decide our fate without us, they should think again.
Paras need a recurring pensionable raise and need to be included in the conversation. This attempt is not that.
Editor’s notes
Here are some related links:
UFT petition asking the City Council to pass this proposed legislation
Chalkbeat: NYC teachers union pushes unusual method to win $10,000 raise for paras: legislation
Politico - Mulgrew seeks to bypass collective bargaining to boost pay for paraprofessionals
