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City Council hears divided testimony on 'Respect Check' pay differential for paraprofessionals
Summary
A Council hearing on Intro 12-61 examined a proposed $10,000 annual pay differential for DOE paraprofessionals. City labor officials warned the bill may conflict with the Taylor Law; union leaders, paraprofessionals and parents urged immediate action to address vacancies and student needs.
Council members on Tuesday heard competing testimony over Intro 12-61, legislation that would create an annual pay differential for New York City Department of Education paraprofessionals.
Daniel Pollock, First Deputy Commissioner of the Office of Labor Relations, told the committee that the payments proposed in Intro 12-61 "are mandatory subjects of collective bargaining under the Taylor law," and argued the city cannot impose such pay items by local law. "This means that the city and New York City public schools must negotiate these matters with its unions," he said in his opening testimony.
Lead sponsor Council Member Powers framed the bill as an urgency for classroom stability and affordability: paraprofessionals "play an incredibly important role in our city's schools," he said, noting UFT figures that starting pay is "just under 32,000" a year and…
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