Contract Faculty United (CFU-UAW) Have Authorized a Strike! NYU Adjuncts FAQ
This FAQ seeks to clarify what NYU adjuncts should do if CFU-UAW goes on strike, and how to support our contract faculty colleagues without violating our own contract.
If you have any questions, please contact: nyu@actuaw.org.
What’s happening?
CFU-UAW (contract faculty) may go on strike. After more than a year of bargaining with little progress from NYU on the priorities most important to contract faculty, a supermajority of CFU members have voted to authorize a strike, with a deadline of Monday, March 23rd for NYU to agree to a fair contract. You can learn more about CFU’s Strike Authorization Vote here.
Why does CFU’s strike matter for adjunct faculty?
When one union at a workplace wins improvements, it raises the standards for everyone. When NYU attempts to create divisions between faculty groups to drive these standards down, we exercise our power most effectively by remaining united in our support.
CFU winning better wages and protections helps adjuncts by:
Raising baseline standards of pay, working conditions, and job security across NYU;
Making it harder to treat any group as “cheap and replaceable”;
Reducing NYU’s ability to justify cancellations/cuts by playing groups against each other;
Building leverage for everyone ahead of future bargaining fights;
In short — What’s good for contract faculty is good for us — and vice versa. Core demands of their contract proposals include improvements to compensation, academic freedom, childcare benefits for parents, rights for international faculty, and real support for professional development and research. The more progress CFU makes in these core areas, the more leverage adjuncts will have to win improvements too.
What does a strike mean for adjunct faculty?
If a strike occurs, NYU may try to limit its effectiveness by shifting contract faculty’s work onto adjuncts or by proposing quiet, individual “workarounds.” In fact, some adjuncts have already received offers from the administration to take on work normally performed by contract faculty. Adjuncts may be offered to cover CFU members’ teaching assignments or administrative duties.
What should adjunct faculty do if a strike occurs?
The single most powerful tool for adjuncts to show solidarity with CFU is to refuse to take on work normally performed by contract faculty, if offered. Hiring substitutes (“scabs”) is a common tactic that employers use to limit the disruption caused by a strike and gain leverage at the negotiating table. In order for CFU to help raise the standards for NYU faculty and win the most improvements possible, it is essential that we do not take over their work by politely declining. Instead, adjuncts should show solidarity by visiting CFU’s picket line(s).
Can adjunct faculty strike alongside CFU?
No. Under our current adjunct contract, we cannot strike. We will continue teaching our own scheduled classes and performing our normal assigned duties. At the same time: we do not take on struck work (work that belongs to striking CFU faculty).
What does “don’t scab” mean for adjuncts?
It means two things at once: 1) Teach your own scheduled classes (unless NYU cancels them or you’re formally notified of a change to your assignment) and 2) Do not perform CFU colleagues’ work while they are on strike.
NYU’s most common strike tactic is temporary labor transfer: “Can you just cover this once?” / “Can you help us out for a week?” / “It’s only grading.” That is exactly how strikes get undermined.
What counts as “struck work”?
If you are asked to do work that replaces a striking CFU member, assume it is struck work. Common examples include:
Teaching and instructional coverage
Covering a CFU member’s class, lab, studio, clinical session
Temporarily or permanently taking over a CFU member’s course or section
Filling in for office hours or student advising that belongs to CFU
Course administration and other academic labor
Grading for a CFU member’s course
Managing a CFU member’s course’s Brightspace/NYU Classes site, attendance, instruction materials, or communications
Doing curriculum work, assessment, committee work, or program labor meant to substitute for striking CFU faculty
“One-time” extras
“Just this once” proctoring, coverage, student conferences, make-up sessions, etc., because the instructor is out
If it’s not part of your normal assignment and it fills a gap created by the strike, it’s almost certainly struck work.
Adjuncts may be offered “side deals,” or individual arrangements meant to quietly bypass collective action:
Special pay for coverage
A one-off appointment to “help out”
Informal promises of future work in exchange for taking on extra duties now
The appropriate response to any struck work outlined in this section is “I’m afraid I’m not available.”
What should I do if I’m asked to take struck work?
Decline. Keep it simple and boring:“I’m afraid I’m not available to take this assignment.” That’s it. No explanation required. No debate. No bargaining.If you’re pressured, please contact a rep or steward: nyu@actuaw.org
What if they say it’s “voluntary,” “paid extra,” or “just temporary”?
Still decline. Strikebreaking often comes dressed up as:
“extra opportunity”
“short-term bridge”
“special rate”
“urgent student need”
“we’re all pitching in”
If the function is to replace CFU labor during a strike, it’s struck work, paid or unpaid.
What if my chair or department administrator asks me to take on struck work verbally or on the phone?
You can still use the same response: “I’m afraid I’m not available.”
If you are made an offer verbally, document it right after:
Date/time
Who asked
What they asked you to do
Any pressuring language used
Then email yourself a note and/or message a steward/rep. NYU cannot legally retaliate if you choose not to take struck work, and it is unlikely that they would do so, but it’s always good to keep a record.
What if I’m unsure whether something is struck work?
Get in touch with the union by contacting nyu@actuaw.org and a rep will quickly respond.When in doubt, treat it as struck work until clarified.
What am I expected to do during the strike?
Continue your normal work. Teach your scheduled classes, hold your usual office hours for your students, complete the grading and administration for your courses, and follow normal communications channels for your class. Do not expand your workload to cover CFU gaps.
What if NYU cancels my class during the strike?
Save the notice and forward it to a steward or rep immediately by contacting nyu@actuaw.org.Then, ask for clarity in writing about why the course is canceled.
What should I tell my students?
Keep it factual and calm. Example language:
“Our class will continue as scheduled unless you hear otherwise from me. If anything changes, I’ll notify you immediately.”
Avoid speculating about strike timelines. Don’t relay rumors.
What if students ask me to take a position or explain the strike?
You can acknowledge solidarity without turning your classroom into a debate: “I respect the right of workers to withhold labor. My responsibility under my contract is to continue teaching this course. If you want official updates, you can visit the CFU website.”
Can I support CFU without taking struck work?
Yes. Solidarity can include (depending on your comfort and availability):
Sharing accurate information and discouraging scabbing
Declining struck work requests
Showing support on your own time (e.g. visiting CFU’s picket lines as long as it doesn’t conflict with your teaching obligations
Encouraging colleagues not to accept side deals
Wearing a solidarity with CFU button to show support
If you’re unsure what’s appropriate, ask a steward/rep.
What if I already agreed to something and now realize it may be struck work?
Get in touch with the union immediately by contacting nyu@actuaw.org. The earlier the union sees the request, the easier it is to help you unwind it cleanly.
What if I’m pressured or threatened (loss of future work, “we’ll remember this,” etc.)?
Do not handle it alone. Save the message and document the conversation, then contact a steward or rep immediately by contacting nyu@actuaw.org. Even subtle pressure matters. We want patterns, names, and departments; not rumors.
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