Hawaiian Telcom Communications Inc. said yesterday that it has reached a final agreement with its the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 1357, which represents about 836, or 57 percent, of the company's approximately 1,474 employees.

The contract was ratified on Saturday with 99 percent of “;yes”; votes filed by 73 percent of the company's eligible membership, said Scot Long, business manager and financial secretary for the union.

“;With this agreement in place, we can focus our resources on meeting the ever-changing communications needs of our customers,”; said Eric Yeaman, who took over as president and CEO of Hawaiian Telcom in June.

The three-year contract, which expires on Sept. 12, 2011, maintains benefits and pensions for current employees and includes a 5 percent wage increase over three years. New hires will get a 401K matching plan of up to 6 percent of total wages.

“;We were in my opinion able to get what we wanted,”; Long said.

The former contract expired on Aug. 31 and was extended on a day-by-day basis until an agreement was reached on Sept. 13. The new contract covers hourly wage earners, primarily technicians and service representatives.

The Honolulu-based telecommunications company lost $30.5 million in the three months that ended June 30, in contrast with a profit of $21.4 million a year earlier