The American Federation of Teachers says the lockout of LIU Brooklyn faculty is over.

In a press release, the AFT says the Long Island University Faculty Federation "secured an end to an unprecedented 12-day faculty lockout imposed by the LIU administration."

LIU says faculty will return to teaching their classes, effective Thursday

According to the AFT, the Long Island University Faculty Federation's contract that previously expired on August 31 will now be extended to May 31, 2017 so that the two sides can continue to negotiate a contract.

LIU will "make formerly locked-out faculty whole for healthcare costs incurred during the lockout period," according to the AFT.

In a statement, Gale Haynes, Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and University Counsel for LIU, said, “The union’s commitment not to strike during this academic year provides us enough runway to reach a reasonable and fair agreement, while providing our students the ability to continue their studies uninterrupted. That has always been our intention.  Mediation is a positive step to that end.”

Students say they're happy to get their regular professors back.

"I'm really glad that this is over, because we've been out here for weeks," said one student. "Most of us came and stood outside with the professors on the outside, because we really care about our education.

"Thus far, we've been paying thousands of dollars for pretty much people who aren't qualified to teach us sitting in front of the room with a stack of papers, not knowing what they're doing. Now, our actual professors are back, so we're actually going to learn," said another,

Faculty members at LIU were locked out when the contract expired.

The union says replacement workers were hired to take over when classes started last Wednesday.

The AFT had been pushing for the 640 faculty members in Brooklyn to get higher salaries that are more in line with what teachers make at the school's Long Island campus.

The administration had said the union caused the wage disparity by how it distributed past increases. It also said salaries at the Brooklyn campus are higher than at some other area colleges.