Members of the University of Oregon’s faculty labor union ratified an agreement with the University of Oregon to extend its contract by one year, it announced in a newsletter Thursday evening.

The agreement, which United Academics and UO have been discussing for the last few weeks, also means that the two groups will have to restart negotiations on a three-year collective bargaining agreement next year, aside from some tentative agreements that have already been confirmed, according to an April 27 UA newsletter.

Related: “Faculty union to vote Wednesday on contract extension and negotiating timeline”

Negotiations had been ongoing since Jan. 9 and will restart in January 2021. The union’s three-year contract had been set to expire June 30.

“The leadership of UA appreciates how active and engaged you all have been the last few weeks,” the newsletter sent to union members states.

The vast majority of UA members voted to approve the agreement, with 633 in favor and 14 against, according to the union.

Ratifying the agreement means that professors will not receive merit raises this year, though some will still get raises for promotions. 

UA and UO will also resume discussions on the university’s proposed “progressive pay reduction plan,” which would cut the pay of UO employees, including faculty. A draft of the plan from the provost’s website shows that it is considering cutting pay at higher rates for employees with larger salaries.

UA plans to hold a town hall “later this month” to discuss the next steps for negotiating wage cuts with the university, the newsletter states.