AFT Local 6142 members made two important gains at the bargaining table with front-loaded pay raises and a reworked system of longevity stipends. 

Chief Negotiator Luukia Smith said El Camino College staff will receive a 5 percent raise for 2017 retroactive to January 1, with at least 1.28 percent more in 2018 and a cost-of living increase the following year.

The union also negotiated improvements in monthly longevity stipends. Previously, staff began receiving an additional $75 monthly on their 20th work anniversary, doubling to $150 monthly at 25 years. In the new contract, the stipend provides 1.5 percent of salary after 15 years of service, adds another compounded 1.5 percent at the 20-year mark, and again five years later.

“If you’re a 25-year employee and were getting a $150 monthly stipend before,” Smith said, “you should be getting at least $190 monthly now. And every time you get a salary raise, your stipend will automatically increase.”