Strike Authorization Vote FAQ

A strike authorization vote is a vote that authorizes our bargaining committee to call a strike if circumstances justify. A minimum ⅔ majority of those voting is required to authorize the bargaining committee to call a strike. It is a standard process within the union to ensure that this step is taken with strong participation and approval from the bargaining unit before we consider calling a strike.

A strike authorization vote is used to authorize the bargaining committee to call a strike in the circumstance that the NYU administration refuses to bargain fairly. Our vote would be conducted via digital ballot distributed to all contract faculty who have signed an authorization card or filled out a union bargaining survey.

A strike authorization vote is most effective with highest possible participation from all contract faculty voting ‘yes’. In 2022, adjunct faculty voted by 95% to authorize a strike, with 75% of all union members voting. Adjunct faculty reached a  contract before the strike deadline set by their bargaining committee. In 2021, graduate teaching assistants voted by 96% to authorize a strike, with 80% of all union members voting. Graduate workers went on strike to reach a fair contract through spring finals.

In Spring 2024, contract faculty voted by an overwhelming 89% in favor of unionizing; with close to two-thirds of all faculty participating in the vote.

More than a year and a half later we are still fighting to reach a first contract that provides fair and equitable support for contract faculty at NYU. Throughout negotiations we have made many efforts to demonstrate the urgency of reaching a fair agreement in a timely manner, including:

• In Fall 2024, a majority of contract faculty both completed bargaining surveys to shape our initial priorities and voted to ratify our initial bargaining goals by close to 99%. 
• In Spring 2025, a majority of faculty signed an open letter urging the NYU administration to reach a strong first contract that includes stronger protections around  academic freedom.

• Throughout the academic year, hundreds of faculty have attended bargaining sessions as observers, and have shared our stories through social media and testified in bargaining about our experiences. 
• We have reached out and met with elected representatives in NYC to discuss our priorities, as well as elected representatives in NYC. 
• We held town halls and multiple rallies with other members of the NYU community and NYC academic workers. 
• We have shown support and flyered at community and student events to engage with the NYU community.

Despite these and other efforts, the NYU administration is making virtually no progress towards addressing our core demands. Instead, they have delayed bargaining by withholding information about the rates at which Contract Faculty Members are paid for supplemental duties such as summer teaching (for faculty on nine-month contracts), administrative work, and other research and academic work. Furthermore, they have made changes to terms and conditions of our employment, such as research funding and workload, without bargaining. Finally, the administration has sought to walk back on who will be covered by our union contract, seeking to remove contract faculty whom we previously agreed were covered as part of our historic neutrality and election agreement.

That is a determination contract faculty would make together once we have voted to authorize a strike. A work stoppage would be disruptive – however, striking is also the strongest tool we have to secure a fair contract, and we are preparing now so that if it is necessary, we are ready. 

We hope that NYU will make greater progress toward a fair agreement, but until we see such progress, we will continue to make preparations to strike should it be needed.

A strike is a complete work stoppage. During a strike, contract faculty would not perform our work duties and instead would participate in picket lines to increase the visibility of the strike. We will make the decision about the duration, or timing for ending a potential strike, based on the status of negotiations.

Contract faculty make up more than half of all full-time faculty at NYU. When contract faculty demonstrate strong majority participation in collective action, including withholding our labor, the NYU administration will be forced to make much greater efforts to reach a fair agreement or cease to function as a top tier University. The more of us who participate, the more collective power we will have.

When we demonstrate publicly that we are willing to stop working through voting overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, it will also increase pressure on the NYU administration to respond to our demands and make more movement in negotiations.

Yes. There are thousands of fellow academic workers at NYU and beyond who have recently organized strike authorization votes during their contract campaigns, and gone on strike. Similarly, faculty at Rutgers organized a strike authorization vote, and high participation strike, to win improvements in their most recent contract in 2023. As with all other union action, our solidarity and willingness to be visibly supportive is our best protection: there is strength in numbers.

International faculty have the same rights under labor law to participate in union activities, including striking, as domestic workers do. 

Thousands of UAW international academic workers at the University of California, University of Washington, and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine recently took strike votes and ultimately went on strike to win strong contracts. Similarly, hundreds of international workers at Weill Cornell Medicine voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike earlier this year as part of their effort to win a first contract.

Ultimately, our working conditions are our students’ learning conditions: the contract provisions we win through a high participating strike vote, and potential strike, will make NYU a better place to teach and to learn. We would strive to educate students in advance of the strike so that they understand that it is growing out of many years of organizing, and over a year of bargaining, where the administration is yet to make meaningful proposals on both economic and non-economic issues. 

While participating in a strike will require all of us to make sacrifices, this action also gives faculty the collective power to ensure that the NYU administration reaches a fair agreement with us. A contract that provides vital improvements to our pay, benefits, and workplace rights would also make NYU more equitable, inclusive, and competitive with other major universities, and this will in turn improve our ability to teach at NYU.