BCC and Faculty Agree to Three-Year Contract

A three-year contract will provide for a series of annual raises for members of the Broome Community College Faculty Association.

The agreement is retroactive to last September. It calls for a one-half percent pay increase for the current academic year. A one percent raise will take effect next September 1 and a two percent raise will be effective a year later.

The employee contribution for health insurance is set to rise to 15.5 percent as of September 1, 2014. The current employee contribution is 15 percent.

Dr. Kevin Drumm, Broome Community College president, Friday described it as a "quite modest contract" by historical standards. But he said it's a "good contract" given the current economic situation.

Speaking on WNBF Radio's Binghamton Now program, Drumm said the agreement includes a one-time "small payment" for faculty members using money leftover from an early retirement fund. That money already has been budgeted.

Drumm said he'd been advised there had been "some tense moments with some real disagreement" over some issues during negotiations. But he expressed satisfaction those matters ultimately were resolved, clearing the way for the new contract.

Drumm noted pay equity concerns involving instructors and assistant professors have been addressed in the agreement. He estimated about 20 out of 170 full-time faculty members are affected by that.

The college president said he's "very happy" that an agreement was reached before the end of the year.

Faculty Association president David Michalak noted the contract deal was reached in a "fairly short amount of time" compared to past negotiations. He said the talks were handled in a "very respectful and professional way."