A bill to increase the salaries of New York City teaching assistants by $10,000 has officially become law, taking effect Wednesday. The legislation passed the City Council unanimously last month with the backing of the United Federation of Teachers.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani did not officially sign the bill, allowing it to become law through inaction. The United Federation of Teachers announced the law's effective date and expressed readiness for potential legal opposition. Union president Mike Mulgrew stated that the bill was carefully drafted to comply with the state's Taylor Law, which governs collective bargaining, and expressed confidence in its legal standing.
Mamdani, who had previously supported a pay hike for paraprofessionals during his mayoral campaign, later indicated that pay matters were best addressed through collective bargaining rather than legislation. Despite this, he maintained that the law would be upheld.
Government watchdogs have criticized the bill, warning it could establish a precedent for other unions to bypass collective bargaining and seek legislative approval for pay disputes, potentially increasing city costs.
Under the new law, teaching assistants, also known as paraprofessionals, can expect the $10,000 raise to be disbursed in four installments of $2,500 each, beginning January 1, 2027. The starting salary for paraprofessionals is currently $33,000, with earnings reaching $56,000 after 15 years of service. Mulgrew described the bill's enactment as a significant achievement after nearly two years of advocacy.
Mamdani's office has not yet issued a formal comment regarding the bill's enactment or potential legal challenges.