Butler County Community College trustees approved a four-year contract with the union representing BC3’s administrative assistants Wednesday, March 18, three and a half months before the current agreement expires.

The college’s contract offer for its 29 full-time and seven part-time administrative assistants was accepted Monday by the BC3 Education Support Professionals PSEA/NEA. The new agreement begins July 1 and ends June 30, 2030. It includes increases in pay, in a retirement incentive option and in medical insurance contributions.

Negotiators for the college and the union that represents administrative assistants met four times in 2026, most recently on Feb. 25.

The contract includes increases for full-time administrative assistants of 3% to base salary and to hourly rates in the first, third and fourth years of the agreement and of 4% in the second year.

Administrative assistants who work full time will receive a one-time, $2,000 supplemental payment. Those who work part time will receive $600 on or before June 30.

The contract also raises the minimum starting salary for new full-time administrative assistants for a 37.5-hour week to $21.75. New part-time administrative assistants will earn at least $17.64 per hour and receive 3% increases in each of the four years of the contract.

The average annual salary for a full-time administrative assistant at BC3 is $42,090.

Administrative assistants who work part time will be eligible for an increase in prorated tuition waivers and those who work full time in the number of credits eligible for tuition reimbursement.

Those who earn their first associate degree from BC3 during the contract will receive an increase that has been boosted from $500 to $750. The one-time payment for a second associate degree has risen from $200 to $350 and an increase for a first bachelor’s degree from $500 to $1,000.

The pact also contains a larger one-time payment in its first of two retirement incentives for nine administrative assistants who meet stipulations. The first increases the payment from $9,000 to $10,800 and will be valid from Jan. 1, 2027, to June 30, 2027. The second will pay $7,500 and be valid from Jan. 1, 2029, to June 30, 2029.

BC3’s agreements with its maintenance, shipping and receiving services and custodial employees expire June 30, as does its contract with the campus police department independent union.

Bill Foley is coordinator of news and media content at Butler County Community College.