The York University Faculty Association (YUFA) has voted in favour of renewing their collective agreement with York University.
     The agreement was made at a ratification meeting that was held on Sept. 17, when the members of YUFA voted for a new three-year term expiring
in 2012.
    Eighty-one percent of the voters chose to extend their contract.
    YUFA president Arthur Hilliker said that the membership is satisfied with York’s offer and that they felt the new agreement helped them reach their preset goals.
   “The two main priorities for the membership [were] the salary and benefit increase, and also improving the teaching workload,” said Hilliker.
   “We are very pleased that the faculty association has ratified this agreement,” said York president Mamdouh Shoukri in a press release dated Sept. 21.
   “I want to commend YUFA for its constructive approach in this challenging fiscal environment,” he said.
   The union will receive a three-percent salary increase for the first two years of the contract, and a 2.5 percent increase in the third year of the contract.
   $1.5 million will be set aside for the implementation of a “workload reduction framework.” The amount of money the university is putting into retirement benefits will also increase as part of the new agreement.