Hundreds of Mercy College faculty are threatening to go on strike next month if the administration does not agree to a union contract.

Adjunct faculty rallied this morning and said they're not receiving fair pay or job security.

Since 2019, they say they've had 29 bargaining sessions with administration.

They tell News 12 their base pay is $3,000 (per three credits) while staff on nearby campuses earn at least $4,000 (per three credits).

Staff say Mercy's adjunct professors are not guaranteed a job beyond one semester.

They're calling for at least one- to two-year contracts based on job performance. "We are releasing a strike petition, which over 200 adjunct professors have signed, stating that we are ready to strike for a fair contract," says Mercy adjunct Katherine Flaherty. "We will vote on April 11 and 12 to authorize our union to call a strike."

In a statement, Mercy College officials say many adjuncts have recently received pay increases and the union "demands salary rates paid by wealthy institutions such as Fordham University -- a school whose tuition rate is almost triple that of Mercy's $19,000 per year." They add that it takes several years to negotiate initial contracts with the union.