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A bill to provide $10,000 bonuses to New York City鈥檚 full-time paraprofessionals is headed to Mayor Zohran Mamdani鈥檚 desk after it was approved by City Council members Thursday. 

Similar legislation introduced last year was backed by the United Federation of Teachers in an effort to address the city鈥檚 paraprofessional shortage. After the bill failed to move out of committee, it was in February by multiple council members. 

If Mamdani signs the bill, full-time paraprofessionals will receive four payments of $2,500 throughout the 2026-27 school year. The allows the council to reauthorize stipends each year as long as New York City Public Schools has a paraprofessional shortage or until the city changes the practice of 鈥� a local policy that lets the salary increases negotiated for one municipal union’s contract set the pattern for all the others.

The United Federation of Teachers and council members said pattern bargaining has contributed to low paraprofessional pay.

鈥淥nce the initial bargaining pattern is established, it becomes an enormous challenge to get the city to grant significantly better terms to another union,鈥� the United Federation of Teachers said on its .

New paraprofessionals earn roughly $32,000 in the city. Over the past 20 years, have increased nearly $12,000 for paraprofessionals but top $86,000 for the highest-paid principals.

鈥淲e are going to pass this bill and we are going to put it on the desk of the mayor of New York City saying that the paraprofessionals have been unjustly treated and we are in a crisis,鈥� said UFT President Michael Mulgrew at a at New York City Hall on Thursday. 鈥淎nd the paraprofessionals are dealing with that crisis each and every day with their work, going above and beyond, and now it鈥檚 time for our city to act and do the right thing.鈥�

Mamdani supported the bill while campaigning but expressed concern after he took office, compensation should be handled only in the collective bargaining process. He has 30 days to decide whether to sign the bill, according to the . If he vetoes it, the legislation will go back to the council, and members can override his veto with a two-thirds vote. If he doesn鈥檛 sign or veto the bill, it will become law.

Priscilla Castro, president of the paraprofessional chapter of the United Federation of Teachers, said several paras from each New York City borough gathered at City Hall as the bill went through a committee vote. 

鈥淭oday, we鈥檙e making a change. It鈥檚 a movement. We will not stop until we get this legislation passed and bring it home,鈥� she .

During the council vote, members said paraprofessional pay raises were overdue and are crucial to rewarding some of the hardest-working school employees in the city.

Shirley Aldebol, chair of the council committee that passed the bill, said during voting on Thursday that the payments are the first step toward fixing the city鈥檚 paraprofessional staffing crisis. New York City Public Schools was short more than 1,500 support staff last year. 

鈥淧araprofessionals are critical members of our school environment, providing instructional, behavioral and physical support to students with disabilities,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 have a deep respect for the collective bargaining process. This bill’s structure does not interfere, in my view, with mandatory subjects of collective bargaining, as it does not attempt to legislate wages or benefits and matters that must be resolved at the bargaining table.鈥�

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