NYU Faculty Strike Ends After Tentative Accord Reached
Contract Faculty United-UAW, which represents nearly 1,000 non-tenured faculty, will now receive an average raise of 20 percent this year. The accord, reached March 25, now goes to the union’s full membership for a vote.
NYU /
| 25 Mar 2026 | 03:43
Roughly 1,000 faculty members at NYU went on strike for two days, beginning on March 23. They picketed outside the John A. Paulson Center on Mercer St., and reached a tentative agreement by around 2 a.m. on March 25. (
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The striking faculty, who wanted better compensation and job security, brought Scabby the Rat with them to the picket lines. (
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A union representing roughly 1,000 non-tenured faculty at NYU has reached a tentative pact with the university over a stalled contract, ending a two-day strike.
“We are pleased to share that NYU and its unionized contract faculty represented by CFU-UAW [Contract Faculty United-UAW] have reached a tentative agreement, which will now go to the union’s members for a ratification vote. Striking faculty are returning to work today, [March 25],” the union said in a statement.
The strike, which began on March 23, ended at around 2 a.m. on March 25; the settlement will see union members receive an average wage increase of 20 percent this year. Assistant professors will receive a base salary of $91,000 for the coming academic year, associate professors will receive at least $100,100, and full-rank professors will receive $110,100.
“The University has worked in good faith to recognize the important contributions these faculty members make to our community, and to ensure a sustainable and fair agreement,” the union said. “This deal provides meaningful raises and comprehensive benefits that will improve the lives of every member.”
The two-day strike did not impact regularly-scheduled classes for students.
Union reps noted that they had quickly come to terms on some contract issues as the strike kicked off, namely on an agreement regarding academic freedom.
In a statement issued on March 23, NYU had called the strike “fundamentally unnecessary,” adding that substitute teachers would be taking over from striking teachers during the picket.
“We presented a generous and comprehensive package that would improve the lives of every one of its members, including significant raises, the highest minimum salaries of any unionized contract faculty in the country, and comprehensive benefits including enhanced family care,” the statement said.
Straus News visited the jam-packed picket lines outside the Paulson Center not long after noon on Tuesday, March 24. Some union members were marching, a tiny child was enthusiastically banging a drum, and Scabby the Rat blow-up was propped up on the sidewalk. Many strikers wore banners signifying the union’s titular connection to the United Auto Workers (UAW).
Carly Moore, who is a clinical professor of Creative Writing and Contemporary Culture and Creative Production in the school’s Global Liberal Studies program, talked to Straus in detail about why the union had gone on strike.
“We weren’t able to get the university to offer us anything like a living wage for NYC,” she said. “Our biggest issues are still compensation and compression.”
Compression is a phenomenon that involves new hires receiving higher salaries than longtime staff, such as Moore, who has taught for over two decades.
She also said that the union was looking to ensure faculty control over the curriculum (rather than administrative control), as well as better housing conditions and a shorter contract term length, to strengthen union leverage.
Another striker, Ger O’Donoghue—who is a professor in the university’s English Department—said he felt “very energized” by the company of his fellow union members during the picket. It was a departure from the stalled negotiations, he said, which consisted of endless “dull” Zoom meetings.
“Having to go on strike is unfortunate. The one upside is that there’s been a real explosion of fellow feeling,” he added. “People have shared a lot of stories about the hardships that they’ve faced, stories that people at university normally don’t share, because they feel like they’re gonna lose face.”
The mood was more upbeat after the tentative pact was reached, with Mayor Zohran Mamdani reportedly playing a role in the negotiations.
“We look forward to coming together as a community to fulfill our shared commitment to our students,” the union said. “We are grateful to both bargaining teams for their significant efforts to reach an agreement. We also appreciate the constructive role played by the Mayor’s Office with both parties during negotiations.”