Two faculty strikes in different regions put compensation and workforce sustainability back at center stage for higher education. At New York University, nontenure-track faculty struck and later reached a tentative agreement. At Portland Community College, striking union staff pushed the campus into remote operations and delayed much of the spring term. The walkouts reflect persistent pay stagnation across higher ed employee groups: a CUPA-HR analysis cited in the reporting found tenure-track faculty pay down about 11.7% in inflation-adjusted terms and nontenure-track teaching faculty down about 6.8%. At Portland Community College, officials pointed to expenses outpacing revenue for multiple years, while faculty and staff unions tied proposals to cost-of-living fairness and maintaining institutional capacity for student support and a safe campus environment.