University of Hawaii faculty and lecturers across the 10-campus system would receive annual 4 percent raises under a tentative agreement jointly announced Friday by the faculty union and state.

The existing contract for the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly’s approximately 4,000 members expires in a year. The tentative agreement, if ratified, would cover the 2016 and 2017 fiscal years and cost $32 million.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie and union officials called it historic and unprecedented that an agreement was reached a year in advance.

UHPA Executive Director JN Musto said negotiations were done "without the general animus that has characterized, perhaps, the last 40 years of bargaining between UHPA and the university administration."

He added, "Even when we were able to reach agreements that were quite good and beneficial to the bargaining unit in general, the tone of the bargaining always played out like a kabuki dance. This time there was no kabuki."

When negotiations stalled on the union’s current six-year contract, former UH President M.R.C. Greenwood in 2010 imposed salary cuts and other benefit reductions as the university faced extreme budget cuts. The parties ultimately ended up agreeing to temporary pay cuts that would be restored, plus raises in the out-years of that deal.

"We’ve had uncertain and interesting times at the university, and this is a chance for us to put those behind us and move forward, work with the administration and try to do what the faculty do best, which is teach, do research and scholarship, and do outreach," said David Duffy, a UH-Manoa botany professor and president of the faculty union.

Full professors at the flagship Manoa campus currently earn a median salary of $131,814, according to UHPA salary data. At the seven community college campuses, professors earn a little more than $89,000 on average.

UH President David Lassner said student tuition revenue will not be used to cover the cost of the proposed salary increases. He said if lawmakers do not approve general funds — tax revenue from the state’s general fund — for the agreement, the contract will not take effect.

"I want to make clear, crystal clear, that this agreement had as one of its premises during the discussions and negotiations that we not adversely affect tuition for the students," Abercrombie said at a press conference.

The university has had some difficulty in recent years getting the Legislature to fund increases agreed to in the existing UHPA contract. Lawmakers in past years have told UH to instead pay for them with tuition.

For example, this past legislative session, UH had requested $14 million in general funds for multiyear salary restorations and $19.5 million for 3 percent raises this year and next year. The Legislature approved general funds for the raises, but UH will have to continue using "special funds," essentially tuition revenue, for the other cost.

As part of the new two-year deal, the university and union have agreed to establish three working groups to address issues of workforce housing, child care and child-care leave, and distance and online learning benefits for members.

An electronic ratification vote is being conducted through Aug. 25, the first day of the fall semester.