You are likely thinking of the Contract Faculty United (CFU-UAW) at New York University (NYU), who have been locked in intense, historic negotiations for their first union contract.
Here is the breakdown of where things stand as of late March 2026:
🚨 The Strike and Tentative Agreements
After more than a year of bargaining, roughly 950 full-time, non-tenure-track professors went on strike on Monday, March 23, 2026, after a contract deadline passed without a total agreement.
However, during marathon bargaining sessions right around the strike deadline, the union and NYU administration did reach several key tentative agreements on non-economic issues.
While a full deal to end the strike was not immediately finalized because of heavy debates over pay and research funds, they made significant breakthroughs on:
* Academic Freedom: Protections over what and how they teach.
* Job Security: Agreements that professors wouldn’t have to constantly reapply for their jobs after two three-year reappointment cycles (unless there are severe financial or performance issues).
* Retirement Benefits: NYU agreed to non-elective retirement contributions on par with tenured faculty and administrators.
* Grievance and Arbitration Procedures.
⚖️ The Sticking Points
While those tentative agreements are a massive step forward, the two sides have been fighting to bridge the gap on core financial issues:
| Issue | What the Union (CFU-UAW) Wants | What NYU Offered |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Salaries | Base pay ranging from roughly $94,000 to $114,000 (depending on rank: Assistant, Associate, Full). | Base pay proposals hovering around $90,000 to $92,000 for starting assistant ranks. |
| Annual Raises | Higher annual percentage bumps (around 4%) and longevity pay. | A standard percentage over a multi-year contract, though NYU notes it would still result in the highest unionized contract faculty minimums in the country. |
| Housing & Research | Hard financial support for NYC housing and allotted funds to conduct research while teaching. | NYU has resisted standardizing housing stipends and has hesitated on general research funding for this specific track. |
The administration has maintained that their economic offers are incredibly generous, while the union argues that standardizing high pay and job stability is the only way faculty can afford to survive and teach in New York City.
🔍 Historical Context: Are you thinking of Adjuncts?
If you were thinking of a completed total deal, you might be remembering the NYU Adjunct Faculty (ACT-UAW Local 7902). They reached a landmark contract a couple of years ago that runs through 2028, which secured massive retroactive pay increases and high hourly contact rates. The current 2026 strikers are full-time, non-tenured contract faculty, who formed their union in 2024 to fight for similar standards.
Would you like me to find the absolute latest updates from this week to see if a final, total economic agreement was just reached to end the active strike?
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