A sign welcomes visitors to Howard University in Washington, D.C., on February 1, 2022. | Source: MANDEL NGAN / Getty
Howard University faculty members have officially called off their threats to go on strike.
The Teaching Faculty Union at the historically Black college in the nation’s capital announced on Twitter early Wednesday morning that a tentative agreement between the union and the university has been reached.
Last week, some faculty on campus threatened to strike beginning Wednesday and ending Friday after tensions on campus rose from frustration with the treatment of non-tenured track faculty members. Faculty members criticized Howard for not doing enough to allow them to be successful at their jobs. The main concerns from the educators centered on adequate pay, job stability and appreciation for the work that they do to teach Howard students every single day.
🚨🚨🚨Historic Victory @HowardU: Tentative Agreement on 1st Contract Reached🚨🚨🚨#HowardForward#HowardStrike pic.twitter.com/E5C3kxQ0DA
— TeachingFacultyUnion@HU (@LecturersHU) March 23, 2022
“We are pleased to share that, at 3:26 a.m. on March 23, 2022, the non-tenure track faculty and SEIU Local 500 reached a tentative agreement with the Howard University administration,” the union posted in a tweet. “This tentative agreement is subject to a vote of ratification by the union membership, which will be scheduled in the coming weeks. We are hereby calling off the strike.”
Howard University released a statement in response to the agreement between the institution and the Teaching Faculty Union saying their teachers are a respected part of their university.
“While the agreement is subject to ratification by Howard University President and the bargaining units, the union has agreed to call off its three-day strike and ensure that students continue to receive coursework as planned or make arrangements for any learning loss caused by the planned strike,” the statement said. “We have stood firm in our commitment to respect the bargaining process that our union-faculty are entitled to, and it is in the spirit of that commitment that our leaders remained in hours-long negotiations until an agreement was reached. Our contingent faculty are a respected part of our institution. We share the collective goal of educating our students and today, because of this agreement and efforts to bargain in good faith on both sides, we will achieve that goal uninterrupted.”
Howard made national headlines in the fall after students protested for around a month to bring attention to faulty living conditions on campus as well as other grievances. That was resolved after a confidential agreement was reached between the two parties.
This new tentative agreement between the Howard Teaching Faculty Union and the institution will allow educators to continue to teach students as further negotiations continue.
We will continue to monitor this story as developments continue.
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