After 10 months of negotiations, the UO administration and United Academics, the new union representing around 1,800 faculty members, have ratified their first collectively bargained contract.

“This first contract not only represents a historic agreement, it reflects our collective commitment to our mission of providing the highest quality education for our students,” University of Oregon President Michael Gottfredson said in an Oct. 9 press release.

The UO faculty were not represented by a union until April 2012. Bargaining began Nov. 2012 and a tentative agreement was reached Sept. 18. According to the press release, “The union represents tenured, tenure track, non-tenure track and adjunct faculty members, in addition to research assistants, librarians and other academic employees. The bargaining unit does not include law school faculty, faculty who are administrators and faculty who are supervisors.”

The contract includes a pay increase for tenure and tenure-track faculty, longer contracts for non-tenure track faculty and more protections for academic freedom.

“This is good for the university, for students and for Oregon,” said Scott Pratt, Professor of Philosophy and member of the United Academics Bargaining team, in the press release.