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A bill guaranteeing paraprofessionals a one-time $10,000 pay bump became law automatically on Wednesday after Mayor Zohran Mamdani declined to sign or veto it.

Paraprofessionals, school aides who typically support students with disabilities, are among the lowest-paid employees of the city’s public school system with starting annual salaries of roughly $33,000.

The teachers union waged a major campaign to win the pay bump through legislation, a push Mamdani supported on the campaign trail. The pay bump — known as the “respect” check — passed without a single dissenting vote in City Council last month.

But after taking office, the mayor suggested the legislation is a “direct violation” of state labor law and any pay increases must be negotiated as part of the traditional collective bargaining process. Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, vowed an “all-out war” if the mayor tried to derail the bill and has argued it is consistent with state law.

“We are prepared to engage in a legal fight for the RESPECT check and the paraprofessionals who keep our schools running,” union officials wrote in an email to members on Wednesday.

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City Hall did not immediately say if they would launch a legal challenge, which would set up a major confrontation with the union. The optics of fighting the bill are complicated for Mamdani because his campaign focused on making the city more affordable. But allowing the legislation to stand could prompt other unions to seek raises through legislation, weakening City Hall’s power to manage labor costs.

City Council estimates the total cost of the $10,000 payments, issued in four installments between January and August 2027, will be about $324 million. Roughly 25,000 paraprofessionals are eligible in addition to substitute paraprofessionals, whose pay bumps will be prorated based on the number of days they work.

The union argues the pay increases are essential to begin addressing a shortage of roughly 1,600 paraprofessionals. Those vacancies can have severe consequences for students with disabilities, some of whom are not able to ride school buses without an aide.

The legislation has strong support from many paraprofessionals who say they deserve wages that reflect their importance to the school system and must work second or third jobs to make ends meet. Yet others argue the one-time payments aren’t a long-term fix and are frustrated the pay bumps won’t count toward their pensions.

Alex Zimmerman is a senior reporter for Chalkbeat New York, covering NYC public schools. Contact Alex at azimmerman@chalkbeat.org.