The McGill strike is over.

The 1,700 support staff members at McGill University, who have been on strike since Sept. 1, voted Monday afternoon to ratify a new contract and end the walkout.

Many workers will return to the job Tuesday, all workers will be back by Friday.

The five-year collective agreement means a 2.2 per cent across-the-board wage increase in the first year, and annual across-the-board wage increases between 1.2 and 2.2 per cent until 2015.

Workers will also receive a 1 per cent retroactive raise from December 2010, and another 1.2 per cent retroactive hike from June 1, 2011.

The new agreement also means employees will now reach their maximum salary within 12 years of employment, with 3 per cent incremental increases per year. The previous contract meant workers waited 37 years to reach the salary ceiling.

McGill issued a statement saying it was pleased with the agreement.

"We are glad we were able to accomplish what we set out to do; negotiate a collective agreement that is fair, realistic and sustainable in the context of the university's financial situation."

The vote by members of McGill University Non-Academic Certified Association (MUNACA) was 910 in favour and 353 against.

Some support staff members, like Isabelle Lalonde, were pleased with the strike's end.

"I'm very happy to go back to work. It's been three long months and although it's a life-changing experience - I met alot of great people on the line - my work is McGill," she said.

Support staff worker Catherine Dufour said she wasn't entirely pleased with the outcome.

"Even the University of Sherbrooke, they've had a better offer than we had, and they refused (their contract). What we wanted was parity with other universities, and we're still far from parity," she said.

Negotiations began last December; support staff has not had a contract since January.

When workers walked off the job three months ago, the university had offered the workers a 1.2 per cent wage increase over three years. Workers were looking at over twice that, which they claim would put their wages in line with counterparts from other universities.

"I do believe that at the end of this, we have achieved parity, and I know it wasn't as quickly as some people would like, but in this round, this was the best we could get them right now," said Kevin Whittaker, MUNACA president.

"I think in the end we achieved the consensus of the majority of our members and that's really what it was all about," he said.