After almost a decade, Point Park full-time faculty members are in the midst of negotiations their first union contract. It’s a move that’s long overdue, and one that will help preserve our professors’ ability to determine what they teach without fear of retribution.

On the negotiating table are some things standard to most unions: Wages, lengths of contracts, tenure, healthcare, pensions, etc.

Of course, our professors should be compensated for the work they put in. Their wages should be comparable to other similarly-sized private universities, so the best professors we have won’t want to leave for a higher pay grade.

However, there are also some provisions the faculty  members are looking for that are more specific to a university setting, such as academic freedom and the start and end dates of the academic year.

Academic freedom, in particular, should be of concern to students wondering why the faculty wants to unionize and what’s at stake.

Our professors should have contractual protection to teach controversial subjects and present viewpoints that the administration may not agree with without fear of retribution.

Michael A. Fuoco, president of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, told the Globe that negotiations are taking longer than expected. Fuoco also said that a strike isn’t out of the question.

That’s a possibility to take seriously.

On Monday, faculty in Pennsylvania’s state universities voted in favor of a strike. Those faculty members have been without a contract since June of 2015. Another negotiating session is scheduled for Friday, so averting a strike is still possible for state schools.

Point Park’s administration shouldn’t let these negotiations reach that point. The less time our teachers spend worrying about benefits, the more time they’ll have to give us a world-class education.

Faculty at Point Park has waited since 2004 to unionize. After such a long wait, the administration’s lawyers should meet with the faculty’s lawyers more often to expedite the process, ensuring that our educators are protected and adequately compensated as soon as possible, before a strike even enters the conversation.

The Labor Day Parade winds through our campus every year. It’s only appropriate that our campus becomes an example of organized labor.