After nearly three and a half years, a contract agreement between the members of the United Staff of Columbia College and the college’s administration was approved Feb. 10 by an 80 percent majority.

As previously reported by The Chronicle the two groups had been negotiating the union’s first contract regarding issues of wages, hours and working conditions since Nov. 1, 2006.

In September, the union claimed that during negotiations, the administration placed limitations on the number of hours a part-time faculty member could work, reducing them from 30 hours to 20 hours. Union members felt that because they were mid-negotiation, the changes should have gone through the negotiating committee before being implemented.

However, Columbia’s administration denied ever having made the changes.

Five months later, the two groups have finally come to an agreement.

Mike Bright, president of the US of CC, said that he and his fellow members are pleased with the current

contract situation.

“It’s great that we’re just about done with it,” Bright said. “We still have to sign off on it, but we feel that for a first contract, we’ve protected some things.”

Linda Naslund, union member and administrative assistant of the Fiction Writing Department, said she is also satisfied with the way the voting turned out and is eager to move on with the process.

“I think it’s a good, solid contract,” Naslund said. “It seems to be palatable to both the college and the union, and it doesn’t mean we can’t improve on it in the coming years, but I think it’s a good start.”

Although the members of the association agreed on the contract, it will notbe finalized until the two groups sign in accordance. Bright said the union plans to sit down with Columbia’s administration sometime this week to discuss further negotiations of salary.

According to Annice Kelly, vice president of Legal Affairs and General Counsel at the college, the negotiations will begin at the start of the fall 2010 semester.

“Historically, Columbia has always given raises starting on Sept. 1, and the negotiations for that usually begin on Feb. 1,” Kelly said. “As far as discussing it with the union, we anticipate it’ll go well. We anticipate everybody will be negotiating in good faith.”

Steve Kapelke, provost and senior vice president of Columbia, said that although the negotiations took longer than they would have liked, he feels as though the negotiations were conducted respectfully on both sides.

As far as the relationship between the union and the administration goes, Kapelke said he feels it’s still building.

“The relationship with the union has yet to be determined because the ratifications just took place yesterday, so we’re still building a relationship,” Kapelke said. “What I hope will emerge is a continuation of the mutual respect the college and the staff before it was unionized had for each other, and that the staff continues to feel they are an integral part of the college, which the administration always felt was the case, and that whatever provisions are in the contract will work to mutual benefit.”

Bright said that he too is looking forward to working with the administration in  the future.

“We look forward to working with the administration and continue trying to enhance the lives of Columbia College by having some really dedicated people in place,” he said. “We just want to move forward.”