Following the enthusiastic response by Bishop's faculty to the Association of Professors of Bishop's University (APBU) policy of non cooperation and job action, intense negotiations resulted in a salary reopener settlement ratified by APBU members on Dec. 7.

The agreement represents an overall 6.7 per cent to the salarial mass distributed as a weighted average: 7.2 per cent to the floor of assistant professor, 6.2 per cent to the floor of associate professor and 6.2 per cent to the floor of full professor. Three new steps, at a reduced rate, have been added to the top of the scale of full professors. Librarians will receive 82.5 per cent of the new faculty increment scale, to be paid over the next three years. The new salary scales will become effective on June 30, 2000.

A lump sum payment of 3 per cent of the regular salary for 1999-2000 will be paid to members within a month. The 1.1 per cent clawback for the last year of the contract will be cancelled and the amounts already deducted since July 1 refunded -- also within a month.

Both sides agreed to establish through a joint committee criteria which would address salary differentials for new and recent appointments.

"The achievement of this excellent settlement is directly related to the massive solidarity shown in the job action," said David Seale, APBU chief negotiator. "The impact of a newly united faculty will be felt at the university for some time to come."