Two high-profile faculty strikes are putting pay stagnation back at the center of college labor negotiations. New York University’s non-tenure-track faculty staged a strike last Monday and reached a tentative agreement Wednesday, while Portland Community College faculty remained on strike as its classified staff reached an agreement. Reporting tied the disruptions to persistent wage problems for faculty, not just adjuncts. A CUPA-HR analysis cited in the reporting found tenure-track faculty pay is 11.7% lower (inflation-adjusted) than pre-COVID levels, while nontenure-track teaching faculty are down 6.8%. The disputes are also highlighting the fiscal constraints institutions cite when they argue they cannot absorb added personnel costs in volatile budget years—while faculty unions press for cost-of-living increases and pay equity.