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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has initiated a lawsuit to halt a law passed by the New York City Council that would grant one-time $10,000 bonuses to low-paid school aides, commonly referred to as paraprofessionals. This move marks an unexpected departure from the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), which had endorsed Mamdani during the previous year's mayoral election and supported the bonuses during the campaign.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, the City Council unanimously passed the legislation in late July, covering approximately 25,000 paraprofessionals whose starting salaries are around $32,000. Despite allowing the bill to become law without vetoing it, Mamdani filed the lawsuit days later, contending that the bonuses would impose a $325 million financial burden on the city and contravene collective bargaining regulations.

Mamdani's lawsuit asserts that salary adjustments should be negotiated through discussions between unions and the mayor, rather than being implemented through legislation, warning that the council's action sets a precedent for circumventing bargaining processes. The bonuses, which were passed by the City Council, would provide a one-time payment of $10,000 to roughly 25,000 city school aides who primarily work with students with special needs.

In July, the council also unanimously approved the legislation, which went into effect without Mamdani's veto.

In his legal arguments, Mamdani is asserting his executive authority over labor contract negotiations. The suit claims that the bonuses violate a longstanding law that mandates compensation to be determined through collective bargaining between unions and the mayor's office, not through City Council legislation. If the bonus law remains in place, Mamdani argues that it would create a troubling precedent, allowing unions to secure pay raises without engaging in the customary give-and-take of contract negotiations.

City Council Speaker Julie Menin, a Democrat, stated that the council had hoped Mamdani would negotiate pay raises for paraprofessionals directly or incorporate salary increases into this year's budget. When neither occurred, the council proceeded with its own legislation. Menin argued that the aides are underpaid and that increasing their salaries would help address the approximately 1,600 vacancies in the role while reducing long-term education costs. She framed the pay raise as both ethically and financially prudent.

Michael Mulgrew, the president of the UFT, which represents 200,000 members, expressed that the council's legislation was necessary to tackle chronic workforce shortages and was structured in a manner that legally safeguards the collective bargaining process. Mulgrew had previously indicated that he would engage in an all-out battle if Mamdani attempted to block the legislation. The UFT union submitted a motion this week to formally intervene in the ongoing court case.

The mayor's office contends that the lawsuit was filed to ensure that negotiations between the city and its workforce remain centered at the bargaining table instead of being determined through political intervention. A spokesperson for the administration added that Mamdani's office has been actively engaging in discussions with the teachers union to address fair compensation for school aides.

Evan Stone, the chief executive of the teacher-led advocacy group Educators for Excellence, described the council's legislation as placing Mamdani in a challenging situation. Stone believes that Mamdani supports the idea of increasing school aides' pay in principle but feels compelled to uphold the traditional process for setting citywide compensation.

He explained that historically, mayors have relied on pattern bargaining to apply a standard percentage raise across city union contracts, avoiding situations where one group receives a disproportionate increase relative to others. Stone acknowledged the political risks for Mamdani, noting that some teachers who supported his campaign may feel disappointed that he has not followed through on a promise he made during his campaign.

Thomas B. Fordham Institute President Michael Petrilli stated that this rift between a Democratic politician and teachers unions is unusual, as conventional political wisdom generally holds that Democratic officials strive to avoid conflict with such a significant part of their political base.