Mamdani Taking NYC Council to Court Over Teacher Assistant Bonuses that He Supported During the Campaign

EXCERPT:

REPORTER: "Now, Mamdani made these comments right after he secured the endorsement of the United Federation of Teachers union in the mayor’s race last summer. The union is a strong supporter of the bill, which passed unanimously in the city council last month. The bill gives paraprofessionals or teaching assistants for students with disabilities a $10,000 bonus as a way to help recruit and retain these workers. The starting wage for paraprofessionals is $32,000 a year, and there are more than 1800 vacant positions. The Mamdani administration argues that this bill allows unions to bypass the collective bargaining process and instead uses city council to get a pay raise. In a statement, a spokesperson for the mayor says in part, 'We will not allow the political process to replace the collective bargaining table. The city is filing a lawsuit to protect the right of every union to negotiate on behalf of its members, to fight for the workplace they deserve, and ensure that workers, not politicians, determine their own futures. But council member politicians, determine their own futures. But Council Member Eric Dinowitz argues that this is a one-time emergency fund, not a salary boost."