THE UST administration and the UST Faculty Union (USTFU) are at odds over a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), with negotiations stalled over key economic benefits.
The CBA still being negotiated, which will dictate employment terms for UST faculty from 2021 to 2026, will enter the penultimate year of coverage next year and has been delayed for three years. No resolution is in sight despite several meetings since September.
By law, economic provisions should already go through renegotiation midway into the term of the CBA.
In an attempt to push the negotiations forward, the administration requested the union to prioritize 15 economic items. However, USTFU President Emerito Gonzales said this list was largely dismissed.
“Nag-prioritize kami 1 to 15…Most of those 49 economic suggestions or provisions that the union wanted, most of them are rejected,” Gonzales told the Varsitarian.
Gonzales cited four major dealbreakers in the new CBA: hospitalization and medical benefits, rank upgrades, retirement benefits, and technological support. These items have been repeatedly discussed but remain unresolved, he said.
The USTFU proposed a P25-million allocation for hospitalization and medical benefits over five academic years, with caps of P150,000 and P300,000 for critical illnesses. The administration countered with just P3 million annually.
Under the previous 2016–2021 CBA, part-time faculty were entitled to P50,000 annually for hospitalization, while full-time faculty could claim up to P100,000.
“It’s critical… pero hindi talaga binigay,” Gonzales said of the rejected proposal.
The union also pitched a P26-million rank upgrade (from hikes in non-tuition collections), a retirement package equal to 175% of basic pay, service awards at 3% of monthly salary per year of service (instead of a flat P500), and P10,000 in annual technological support, all of which were denied.
In 2023, UST reported a 6.2% revenue growth to P7 billion despite a dip in tuition collections, its biggest source of revenue. A total of P3.75 billion in tuition was collected in the 12 months that ended July 31, 2023.
READ: UST reports 6.2% growth in revenues in 2023 despite dip in tuition collections
Deadlock or no deadlock?
Conflicting narratives have emerged about whether a deadlock has been officially declared.
A deadlock occurs when the management and employee panels reach an impasse on specific proposals during CBA negotiations. If declared, potential outcomes include the USTFU filing a notice of strike with the Department of Labor and Employment, seeking mediation or arbitration, or resuming negotiations to work toward a new agreement.
In an interview with the Varsitarian, Prof. Revenendo Vargas, president of the UST Faculty Association of the Institute of Religion, emphasized the need for clarity on the situation.
Vargas said Gonzales claimed a deadlock had been declared between the UST administration and USTFU panels.
“Any ordinary person can say na wala namang deadlock with the presence of the administration and with the management panel,” he said. “Saka nandun din naman ‘yong mga panel [members] na wala rin naman silang binanggit tungkol sa deadlock.”
“‘Yong deadlock ay narinig ko kay Sir Emer (Gonzales) lang,” he added. “At saka ilang faculty club presidents. AB (Artlets) and Pharmacy, aware sila na may deadlock na.”
Vargas questioned the claim of a deadlock supposedly declared on Nov. 22, pointing out that a negotiation was held a week later on Nov. 29. Another session is scheduled for January after the Christmas break.
“Bakit magtutuloy ‘yong kanilang CBA negotiation ng January kung may deadlock na?”
“One group says may deadlock na noong Nov. 22 and then another group says wala pa namang ganoon, ‘di ba? So this has to be cleared first. Kasi baka nag-uusap kami dito na may deadlock na, ‘yong sabi ng isa wala naman pala e, baka magkaloko-loko na, ‘di ba?”
Political provisions OKed, but…
While discussions on economic provisions have stalled, negotiations on the political provisions have been “practically closed,” according to Gonzales. These items pertain to governance and decision-making processes within UST.
This partial agreement was only achieved after USTFU conceded most of its political proposals to focus on the economic aspects of the deal.
“Nag-concede na nga kami doon,” Gonzales said of the political provisions. “Ginive up na namin yung karamihan para lang mag-focus kami sa economic.”
“But despite that, feel namin na tinitipid talaga kami doon sa economic provisions.”
READ: 2% progress: UST, faculty still far from signing new collective bargaining deal
Gonzales explained that unlike economic items, political provisions cannot be deadlocked.
The union’s initial proposal for the 2021-2026 CBA included 554 items: 342 new provisions, 194 amendments to existing ones, and 18 removals. However, most proposals were either significantly reduced or outright rejected.
The prolonged negotiations have delayed salary increases for years, leaving faculty grappling with inflationary pressures.
In contrast, the University finalized new CBAs with hospital staff in June 2022 and support staff in May 2024.
Historically, delays have always marred the CBA negotiations. The 2011-2016 CBA of the academic staff was only ratified in 2014 after a deadlock was broken through backchannel talks, while the 2016-2021 CBA was only ratified in September 2020.
As the prospects of the CBA talks remain unclear, Vargas called for clearer communication from the USTFU leadership. The religion faculty member ran against Gonzales for the union presidency in 2021.
“Okay lang sana kung narinig natin ‘yong deadlock sa mga faculty club president o di kaya some members, pero kung tutuusin galing sa president mismo e,” Vargas said.
“Mahirap talagang masabi ngayon kung anong kinahinatnan kasi the word is not coming from an ordinary person; it’s coming from the president himself.”
Catholic Social Teaching, which is taught to all UST students, calls for the promotion of labor and union rights. Pope St. John Paul II’s Centesimus Annus states, “The freedom to join trade unions and the effective action of unions . . . are meant to deliver work from the mere condition of ‘a commodity’ and to guarantee its dignity.” with reports from Mabel Anne B. Cardinez and Sydney Venice V. Berba
