The union representing New York University’s (NYU) full-time, non-tenure track faculty said it will strike on March 23 if a fair contract is not settled.
The union, Contract Faculty United – UAW (CFU-UAW), made the announcement on Feb. 27 after its 26th bargaining session since the labor group was formed in 2024. Members announced the strike deadline during a rally with NYC Council Member Harvey Epstein and various political candidates.
“Our members have said they are tired of waiting for the administration to bargain fairly and settle the strong first contract we need and deserve,” said Benedetta Piantella, industry associate professor in the NYU Tandon School of Engineering and a member of the union’s bargaining committee.
The latest bargaining session lasted five hours, union reps said. They said the union brought six proposals to the meeting, and the administration brought nine. The union’s demands focus on compensation, job security, academic freedom, AI, as well as a workload that includes language courses requiring faculty to meet four times a week.
Non-tenure track contract faculty at the Manhattan institution voted 90% in favor of authorizing their elected bargaining committee to call a strike if necessary. Voting was open between Feb. 9 and Feb. 20; 694 ballots were cast with 657 voting in favor of a strike
“With 90% voting yes in our strike authorization vote, the administration knows that they have until Monday, March 23, to come through,” Piantella said.
In a sliver of hope, the union said there was some action from the administration last week, but added it was not enough to avert a strike.
“They are still refusing to address salary compression, overwork, they are trying to end peer review for reappointment and promotion, and to curtail our participation in the shared governance of our departments and schools,” said Elisabeth Fay, clinical associate professor in the Expository Writing Program and a member of the union’s bargaining committee.
Meanwhile, NYU administration said the strike deadline is “unwarranted.”
Joe Tirella, a spokesperson for the school, said the professors have a competitive offer on the table. (According to the union, the admin increased minimum salaries, but it would still leave around 75% of members without a “meaningful raise.”)
“The union’s announcement of a strike deadline is unwarranted and unjustifiable,” he said. “It comes immediately after the university offered their members the highest minimum salaries of any unionized full-time contract faculty in the country.”
He added that the union’s actions do not justify jeopardizing the students’ education at the university.
“Why would the union choose to disrupt thousands of students’ education when they have a market-leading offer in hand and when the university has been pressing to resolve this contract through an independent mediator for more than four months?” he asked.
More information about the pending strike is available at nyucontractfacultyunion.org
