Kamps Leads Paraprofessional Chapter to Arbitration Victory!
Kamps helps deliver arbitration victory for paraprofessionals: Seniority Rights Protected, Members Made Whole, DOE Held Accountable
In a victory for paraprofessionals, the Union recently won an arbitration on behalf of three paraprofessionals who were denied per session opportunities that should have been awarded based on seniority.
The case began at P.S. 153 in District 11, where per session positions were never properly posted. Instead, the school filled the jobs with a brand new paraprofessional and a substitute paraprofessional, bypassing longtime members Carmen Verola, Esther Arias, and Tina Porter, all veteran paraprofessionals with decades of service.
Refusing to accept the violation of their contractual rights, the three members filed a grievance and pushed the case all the way to arbitration.
The UFT Grievance Department argued the case on behalf of the members. A key part of the Union’s victory came through the testimony of John Kamps, whose experience and credibility helped demonstrate exactly why the grievants were entitled to the work.
Drawing on more than 25 years of experience as a paraprofessional and his extensive knowledge of the paraprofessional contract, Kamps explained to the arbitrator how important per session opportunities are for paraprofessionals, particularly senior members approaching retirement. He testified that these positions are often rare, highly sought after, pensionable, and contractually awarded based on seniority.
Kamps also walked the arbitrator through the contract language and the school’s seniority list, clearly showing why the three paraprofessionals, Verola, Arias, and Porter, should have been selected for the positions from the start.
The arbitrator agreed and sustained the grievance.
All three paraprofessionals were awarded “make whole” relief and will now receive the compensation and seniority credit they should have earned had they been selected for the position.
This victory is about more than one grievance. It is a reminder of why experience matters in the paraprofessional chapter. When members’ livelihoods and contractual rights are on the line, we need leaders like John Kamps who understand the work, understand the contract, and have the experience you need to effectively advocate for paraprofessionals in high stakes settings like arbitration.
Before the arbitration, the members were offered a minimal settlement. They refused to back down.
As Carmen Verola put it, the Department violated their rights, and they wanted every penny they were owed.
They got it.