New York University is up against the clock to reach a new contract with hundreds of non-tenured faculty members, who say they’re prepared to go on strike without a new deal by Monday’s deadline. 

Negotiations are set to resume Friday morning, but the university says classes will go on as scheduled when students return from spring break next week regardless of what happens. 

NYU negotiating with non-tenured faculty

More than 900 non-tenured faculty members, who teach about 25% of classes at NYU, say they’re prepared to walk off their jobs unless the university meets their contract demands. 

Their union said it’s fighting for stronger job security, reasonable workloads, academic freedom protections and fair compensation that reflects contributions and years of service. 

Many students on the Greenwich Village campus have been speaking up in support of the faculty, while NYU maintains it has been bargaining in good faith. 

“The university had made a very significant offer to the union, the highest minimum salaries of any unionized contract faculty in the country,” said NYU Chief Communications Officer Wiley Norvell. 

“I really hope that the administration sees how much students care about this issue and that they come to the table faster,” said sophomore Jamie Hesseltine.   

NYU statement on possible strike

In a statement, an NYU spokesperson accused union members of choosing 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 the past five months.”

In the event of a strike, the university said classes taught by tenured professors would continue as normal. Others could be covered by substitutes, including other NYU faculty and outside instructors. 

The talks are expected to continue through the weekend.

If no deal is reached, picketing could begin Monday at 9 a.m. on Mercer Street.

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