November 7, 2025
Newsletter Overview
Feature Story: Union Wins
Termination and Course Load Reduction Payments
NYU Adjuncts Unit - Inside the Numbers
Final Days to Enroll in NYU Healthcare Plan
Reps’ Corner: Bargaining Unit Eligibility
December 15th Request to Teach Letter: Take Note and Do This Now
Paid Family Leave Update
Upcoming Events and Important Dates
Latest Union Wins
The union filed a grievance on behalf of a member whose course load for reappointment rights for the current academic year had been reduced by four courses. Despite having reappointment rights and having the courses listed in their May 21 reappointment letter, the department did not pay them course load reduction pay, per Article X of the contract, by September 1st. The university settled the grievance and paid the adjunct what they were owed, including a 10% longevity increase because the member had been teaching in the department for at least 5 years. Ultimately, the settlement was nearly $20,000.
In the 2024–2025 academic year, several adjunct faculty across NYU were not reappointed and were therefore owed termination pay under the contract. However, these adjuncts had not submitted Request to Teach letters by the December 15, 2023, deadline. NYU first claimed that the contract allowed them an additional year to make the termination payments due to the missed deadline, but then refused to issue the payments, arguing that the requirement to submit Request to Teach letters for termination pay did not expire until Fall 2024. The union filed a grievance on behalf of five adjunct faculty members affected, resulting in a settlement totaling over $78,000.
Have you experienced what you believe may be a contract violation?
Don’t delay! Let us know as soon as possible!
In most cases, we have 15 business days to file a grievance once a violation occurred. Cases can be dismissed if the grievance is filed after this narrow window has elapsed.
Quite literally, time is of the essence!
Termination and Course Load Reduction Payments
So far this year, NYU has provided termination pay to 36 adjunct faculty members who were not reappointed for the 2025–2026 academic year, totaling $954,405.51. It has also issued course load reduction pay to 46 adjunct faculty members who received fewer courses than they were owed under Article X of the contract, totaling $676,156.92. The Rory Meyers School of Nursing and Steinhardt recorded the highest number of terminations, while Rory Meyers and Tandon experienced the most significant number of course load reductions.
This is a change from the previous year, where a total of 30 terminations were more evenly distributed across schools, and 90 course load reductions were concentrated in the School of Professional Studies, with over 60% of them.
NYU ADJUNCTS UNIT:
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Card Coverage Across NYU
Adjunct Faculty with Eligibility for Reappointment Rights
NYU Adjunct Faculty Payouts
NYU Healthcare
annual Enrollment
Monday November 10th is the final day to enroll in NYU healthcare plans (medical, dental, and vision). If you are eligible to enroll, you should have received an email in your inbox. If you are interested in enrolling and haven’t already done so, DO IT NOW! This will be your last opportunity to enroll in healthcare plans that will become effective on January 1, 2026, unless you have a qualifying event.
SPECIAL REMINDER: If you would like medical, dental, and vision benefits you must sign up for each separately.
How to Enroll
To access the Benefits Resource Center, login to NYU Home with your NetID (printed on the back of your NYU identification card) and password credentials. Then select the Benefits Resource Center card. Information and tools will help you:
Bargaining
Unit Eligibility
In each newsletter we answer common questions. In this issue we focus on bargaining unit eligibility.
Q & A
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A: Adjunct or part-time faculty members who work more than 40 contact hours per academic year (September 1-August 31), or who do at least 75 contact hours of individual instruction or tutoring during a semester, are considered to be bargaining unit eligible (BUE). This is important because it means that you are covered by the rights and benefits in the union contract.
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A: A contact hour is defined as 50 minutes of teaching in the classroom. So, if your class meets for 2.5 hours, that equates 3 contact hours per class, or 42 contact hours over the course of a 14-week semester. This one class would mean you are bargaining unit eligible.
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A: An adjunct who was bargaining unit eligible in a previous academic year could lose bargaining unit eligibility in the new academic year. For instance, if an adjunct taught 40+ contact hours in academic year 2024 - 2025, that means that they were bargaining unit eligible. However, if they are only teaching 28 contact hours in the current semester (fall 2025) and are due to teach another 28 contact hours in spring 2026, then although they are not currently bargaining unit eligible (BUE), they will be bargaining unit eligible in spring 2026 (however your rights are retroactive).
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A: Union membership is not automatic. While you are not required to become a member, you are required to either pay dues or the equivalent in agency fees. Thus you still must fill out a card but only sign the bottom part. The easiest way to become a member of the union, and receive all the protections and benefits in our contract, is to fill out and return a union membership card. Be sure to fill out the card in its entirety, which includes signing it twice. You can send it by mail or email to nyu@actuaw.org.
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A: Union membership is not automatic. While you are not required to become a member, you are required to either pay dues or the equivalent in agency fees. Thus you still must fill out a card but only sign the bottom part. The easiest way to become a member of the union, and receive all the protections and benefits in our contract, is to fill out and return a union membership card. Be sure to fill out the card in its entirety, which includes signing it twice. You can send it by mail or email to nyu@actuaw.org.
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A: No. If you filled out the membership card and dues were deducted from your paycheck while you were BUE, you do not have to do it again if you lose BUE status. Dues will only be collected while you are considered to be BUE.
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A: In order to qualify for a reimbursement grant from the technology or professional development fund you must be BUE. If you applied and your application was denied because you were not BUE at the time of the application, you should submit another application once you become BUE.
Monday, December 15
Request to Teach Letter Due!
TAKE NOTE and DO THIS NOW!
For those who qualify, it is time to submit your Request for Reappointment letter (also known as the Request to Teach letter).
This letter requires the department to provide you with a reappointment letter by May 21, 2026 (or March 21, 2027, for Summer 2027) that lays out your Fall, Winter, and Spring Academic Year 2026-2027 appointments.
You acquire or maintain reappointment rights if you taught at least one course in the same department in any two semesters in 2025-2026 and 2024-2025 or one course in the same department in one semester for each of the prior four academic years.
- If you are unsure whether you qualify, send the letter anyway.
- If your director or chairperson told you you don’t need to send it, send it anyway.
- Send a separate letter to every department, division, or school you taught at in 2025-2026.
- If your qualifying semester is in Spring or Summer 2026, send the letter.
Always send a letter!
Send the letter to the person who communicates with you about your courses, or click here for the most current list of administrators. The letter must be sent by December 15th. (Note: There is a ten business day grace period.)
Click here for a sample letter. Please copy the union office (mail@actuaw.org), the Unit Chair (nyu@actuaw.org) so that we have a record in case there is any dispute with the administration down the road.
Join the Call for Paid Family Leave!
On September 15th, NYU adjuncts delivered a letter to President Linda Mills calling for Paid Family Leave. We have received a response from the university to schedule a meeting to discuss this with NYU leadership. This is a huge opportunity for the union!
Help us make the best of this opportunity with a show of strength and solidarity.
Add your name to show your support for Paid Family Leave for adjunct faculty, it only takes a moment and makes a real impact.
The more adjunct faculty that we can show that support Paid Family Leave, the stronger the case we can make as to why we need this benefit now!
Monday
Nov. 10
Last Day of Annual Enrollment for 2026 Benefits
Annual Enrollment is happening now and ends Monday, November 10, 2025.
friday
Nov. 21
Joint Council Meeting
at 10:00am
The next meeting of the Joint Council will be Friday, November 21 @ 10am EST. Joint Council Meetings are open for Rank and File members (i.e. not on the Joint Council) to observe! Rank and File members need only to register to receive an observer link to the meeting.
As always, we encourage member attendance to observe so they know what’s going on with their union! Please register in advance (registration link forthcoming) so we can confirm your membership and send you the Zoom link.
Thursday
Dec. 4
NYU Adjunct Social
from 5-7:30pm
Come grab a drink and get to know fellow NYU Adjuncts at Vol de Nuit, a bar near the Washington Square Park campus (148 West 4th Street, entrance inside the courtyard; there is no sign!).
Attend to meet colleagues, ask questions, bring up any concerns you have, and learn how to get involved with our union’s organizing efforts.
We hope you will join us! But, if you can’t make this one, we will be holding socials each month.
Please pass the invitation along to your colleagues.