ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Faculty members at Minnesota's seven state universities have overwhelmingly approved a new contract.

Union officials announced this week that members of the Inter Faculty Organization voted 1,081-16 to accept a tentative settlement reached in late July.

Reports say the new contract was ratified more than a year after the last one expired.

The new contract includes a retroactive 3.2 percent salary increase for the 2013-14 academic year, and a 1.45 percent increase for this year.

The contract covers about 4,000 faculty members at the Minnesota state universities in Bemidji, Mankato, Moorhead, St. Cloud and Winona, as well as Metro State University in St. Paul and Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall.

A similar contract was approved this summer by faculty at the state's 24 public two-year colleges.

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