An arbitration award has granted members of the University of Manitoba Faculty Association (UMFA) a combined 6.75% salary increase over three years.

The news comes almost exactly a month after a provincial court ordered the government of Manitoba to pay UMFA nearly $20M in damages for interfering with talks in 2016 and violating the association’s charter rights.

As part of the resolution of last fall’s strike, UMFA and the University agreed to refer compensation issues to binding arbitration. The arbitration award will see UMFA members receiving increases of 2.25% per year over three years, starting with the 2021-22 academic year.

Noting that the University chose to compress the fall term so that faculty were required to make up for teaching that had not occurred during the strike, the arbitrator ordered that academic staff will also be paid for teaching assignments for the duration of last fall’s 35-day strike. In addition, members were awarded receive lump sum payments for research and service.

Orvie Dingwall, UMFA president, welcomed the arbitrator's decision.

"After six years of Conservative government interference and having our salaries essentially frozen, we needed significant improvements to our compensation in order to remain competitive with Canada's research universities," she said in a media release.

"This ruling helps ensure that we are able to retain the top professors, instructors, and librarians who provide quality public education to students in Manitoba."