After seven months and 18 meetings, the College and Union 560 are near an agreement on the new contract, which is now four months late.
The new developments -- which focus on job security -- come as a result of the latest round of negotiations, which took place Monday from 8 a.m., to 8:30 p.m. between Human Resources Director Roger Brock, Union 560 President Earl Sweet and Jim Foss, a federal mediator from Boston.
Both Sweet and Brock seemed positive about the meeting.
"I think it was a very constructive dialogue, and the College came to an understanding of where we come from," Sweet said.
Brock said, "We believe we have crossed the final hurdles and have a good basis for negotiation."
According to Brock, the changes in the new contract are minor. The dental plan is still being terminated for union workers as of June, 1995 and the previously offered wage increases have stayed the same.
"We still aren't willing to guarantee that we won't ever make 12 to nine-month conversions, but we have outlined in the new contract how we would deal with it if we did," Brock said.
The union composed a letter that stated its position on the issues of contention in the previously offered contracts specifically, members' need for assurance that no 12-month union member positions will become nine month jobs.
"We couldn't get them to put job security in writing, so we did it for them." Sweet said.
Brock said he feels the letter clarified the union's position on job security and helped create a level of understanding between the union and the College.
"I think we've been very straight forward. I'm stumped at how all of a sudden [Brock} understands it," Sweet said.
The union's letter is a legal document which, though not a part of the contract, will stand in a court of law.
The letter was presented to the College, which made some changes in its wording and then declared that it reflected an understanding between the two sides.
Sweet and the rest of the union committee will meet today to discuss the College's changes in the letter. If they approve it, they will proceed with negotiations and take the new contract to the rest of the members of Union 560 for ratification.
Brock said he is still not willing to sign the letter but that he offers the union a promise of good confidence based on trust between it and the College.
Brock said some lost trust had been reestablished between the College and the union. But Sweet the lost trust will take time to rebuild. "Trust is something you earn and they've got a ways to go," Sweet said.
