Howard Community College’s faculty union says it has reached an agreement for its inaugural contract with the college administration, ending 18 months of bargaining talks that often turned contentious.

The tentative agreement includes the highest salary increase for faculty in seven years, improved working conditions and stronger job security, union officials said in a statement Monday.

Nadene Vevea, HCC’s union chair and an associate professor, said in a statement that the “agreement is a testament to the hard work and commitment of our faculty.”

“After tough negotiations, we have secured vital advancements that not only recognize the contributions of our educators but also lay a foundation for a stronger academic environment at Howard Community College,” Vevea said.

The agreement also spells out “a defined workload” for professors and allows for “greater” faculty buy-in for decision making.

HCC’s faculty union is represented by the United Academics of Maryland, a statewide campaign that establishes unions for full-time faculty at community colleges. The organization is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers and the American Association of University Professors.

Last month, faculty members were joined by elected officials and AFT organizers at a rally to demand progress from the administration of HCC President Daria Willis over contract negotiations. The union accused the college administration of refusing to negotiate in good faith for a fair faculty compensation package.

Earlier this month, college officials admitted to possible labor law violations in February when security officers unlocked professors’ offices and removed pro-union posters from the windows, doors and walls.

College security also broke up a protest in a campus meeting last winter.

An AFT organizer said they couldn’t provide details of the salary increase under the new contract.

A college spokesperson, Jarrett Carter Sr., didn’t respond to a request for a comment Monday. But he said in a social media post that HCC was aware of the union’s statement “regarding active negotiations for its first collectively bargained contract.”

“We await the formal results of the faculty who will vote to ratify tentative agreements, and for the HCC Board of Trustees to soon have the same opportunity for review and approval,” Carter wrote in a Substack post Monday afternoon.

Faculty will vote to ratify their first contract at a later date.

The college previously said base salaries of all full-time faculty and staff members had increased under Willis and the HCC Board of Trustees by more than 20%, thanks to annual cost-of-living adjustments.

By Friday, the college had said, all full-time employees would receive a one-time, performance-based merit payment of $3,500. Each eligible employee will also receive a 4% cost-of-living adjustment.

The Baltimore Banner reported in November that two dozen current and former employees and students had described high staff turnover and a toxic culture that they said had negatively affected staff and student services during Willis’ tenure.

In an anonymous online message board, commenters have blasted Willis’ leadership style. The website went up shortly after she took office in early 2022. Campus leaders pushed back, alleging a racist undertone in some posts. Willis is the first Black woman to lead the campus.

The union has stated it has “no relationship” with the message board.

HCC’s fall academic year begins on Monday, Aug. 25.