Members of the University of Winnipeg Faculty Association have voted in favour of a new, three-year contract.

The new contract includes a 5.41% salary increase over the life of the agreement, pension contribution increases and improvements to salary ranges and professional development accounts. It also addresses a number of administrative issues such as appointments of faculty, tenure and promotion decisions, and the rights and responsibilities of faculty members. The contract is retroactive to April 1, 2010 and will expire March 31, 2013.

Negotiations for a new agreement covering UWFA’s bargaining group of 350 academic faculty, librarians, athletic therapists, coaches and counselors had been underway since last year, but degraded in ensuing months with the union membership voting overwhelmingly to support a strike if needed.

The deal reached with a provincial conciliator last month came just days after talks between the university administration and the union were put to a halt, following the rejection by UWFA members in February of a university final offer, and minutes before a strike deadline.

“At the end of this difficult period of negotiations, we are happy to be in our classrooms with our students to finish up the academic term,” said UWFA president Kristine Hansen.

“The settlement is reasonable in the Manitoba university context, and it builds the basis for fairness in the years to come. We appreciate everyone’s efforts to reach an equitable agreement.”