Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration has filed a lawsuit to block the New York City Council’s $10,000 bonus plan for education paraprofessionals, pitting City Hall against the powerful teachers union that once endorsed him.
The rift erupted after the City Council unanimously passed the RESPECT Check Act on July 16, 2026, a measure designed to provide bonuses of up to $10,000 to paraprofessionals working in New York City’s public schools. Just weeks later, on August 19, Mamdani’s administration filed suit to stop the law from taking effect, arguing it violates New York State’s Taylor Law, which governs collective bargaining for public employees. The United Federation of Teachers (UFT), which had backed Mamdani’s mayoral bid just the year before, responded by moving to intervene in the case and mounting a public campaign to defend the pay raises.
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