AFTER more than a year of negotiations and a weeks-long deadlock that required government intervention, the UST Faculty Union (USTFU) has ratified the 2021-2026 collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
Ratified in an online referendum by 97% of USTFU members, the new deal is already in its penultimate year of coverage. Economic provisions will be renegotiated in August and remain in effect until July 31, 2026.
The Varsitarian did a side-by-side comparison of the 2016-2021 and 2021-2026 deals to show what’s new under the updated agreement.
100% hospitalization coverage
For the first time in 25 years, the USTFU has secured an improved hospitalization benefit, granting members 100% coverage under the Pope Francis Hospitalization and Medical Benefit Fund.
Eligible full-time academic staff are now entitled to 100% coverage, while part-time academic staff may reimburse up to 50% of their hospitalization expenses.
A total of P21 million has been allocated for this benefit: an initial fund of P10 million, an additional P6 million allotted for Academic Year (AY) 2020-2021, and another P5 million for AY 2023-2024.
The P21-million fund will be available for two academic years from AYs 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 or until fully spent, whichever comes first. Reimbursements will follow this tiered scheme:
- First P10 million – 100% hospitalization coverage
- P10 million to P15 million – up to P750,000 medical coverage per academic year
- P15 million to P21 million – up to P500,000 medical coverage per academic year
Once the fund is depleted, reimbursements will be capped at P150,000 for base benefit and P350,000 for critical illness per academic year.
Hospitalized faculty may avail themselves of the lowest private air-conditioned hospital room and stay for a maximum of 15 non-cumulative days per confinement.
A joint committee of USTFU and UST officials will craft the fund’s implementing guidelines within one month of CBA ratification. Unlike before, financial updates on the fund will now be reported monthly instead of yearly.
Deadlocked provisions
Under the 2021-2026 CBA, the emergency loan interest for tenured academic staff was lowered to 4% from 6%, and the maximum loanable amount increased to P50,000 from P20,000.
Non-teaching academic staff will receive two additional vacation leave days.
Tenured faculty will be informed of their accumulated unused sick leaves before the last payday of July. The cash value of 15 sick leave days is equivalent to half a month’s salary, not exceeding the maximum allowable load.
USTFU’s proposal to raise the Christmas bonus to P30,000 was denied, and the current bonus rates were retained: P15,000 for faculty with at least 15 units and P7,500 for those with fewer.
The sabbatical leave return service ratio stayed at one year is to three years, instead of the union’s request for a 1:2 ratio.
Both parties agreed to keep the fixed longevity pay scheme based on years of service, scrapping USTFU’s proposed salary-based system.
The 11th- and 12th-month provisions were unchanged as these are set to be revisited during the CBA renegotiation in August.
National Service Training Program (NSTP) facilitators will receive an additional P2,000 per term from the NSTP fund.
New and improved perks
The 2021–2026 CBA also introduces new allowances and revamped benefits.
A clause now defines full teaching load for non-teaching academic staff as 40 hours per week. For teaching faculty, a full load is still equivalent to 21 units per term.
The average lecture class size was reduced to 40 students from 45.
The mid-year bonus for tenured faculty, released every May 31, was doubled to P10,000 from P5,000.
Tenured faculty with lighter loads will also benefit from mid-year bonuses: P5,000 for those with at least 10 but fewer than 15 units (up from P2,500), and P2,500 for those with fewer than 10 units (up from P1,250).
The educator’s bonus rose to P12,000 (from P8,000) for tenured faculty with at least 15 units and P6,000 (from P4,000) for those with fewer.
Book allowances were raised to P6,000 (from P5,000) for tenured faculty with at least 15 units and to P3,000 (from P2,500) for those with fewer.
The fixed P3,000 birthday bonus was raised to P7,500 starting August 2021 and then to P10,000 the following year.
Meal allowances, which were previously based on a percentage of Metro Manila’s minimum wage, now have fixed amounts that increase annually. This benefit will now range from P1,500 to P4,000, depending on employment status.
Transportation allowances range from P1,375 to P8,000, depending on teaching load.
Laundry allowances for tenured staff with less than 15 units rose to P14 from P12.50. The P300 monthly allowance remains for faculty with at least P15 units.
Hazard pay for faculty handling courses with exposure risks increased to between P800 to P1,000 from the previous P400 to P500.
Bereavement pay for the estate or compulsory heirs of a deceased faculty member was raised to P150,000 from P100,000.
New benefits under the 2021-2026 CBA include:
- term-end bonus of P4,000 for tenured faculty (with at least 15 units) and P2,000 (less than 15 units). The bonus will be paid in November and April each academic year;
- technology allowance of P5,000 for tenured faculty (with at least 15 units) and P2,500 (less than 15 units). The allowance is given every June;
- wellness allowance totaling P10,000 (with at least 15 units) and P5,000 (less than 15 units), payable in October (first term) and in March (second term);
- one-time technology support to all academic staff with teaching load in AY 2024-2025, amounting to P15,000 (with at least 15 units) and P7,500 (less than 15 units);
- signing bonus for all academic staff with load in AY 2024-2025 amounting to P10,000 (with at least 15 units) and P5,000 (less than 15 units); and
- NSTP allowance for every tenured NSTP facilitator with a load of at least 15 units, amounting to P2,000 per term, payable in October (first term) and in March (second term).
Except for the NSTP allowance, these new benefits will be funded by tuition hike collections.
USTFU is expected to file for renegotiation in two weeks to revisit shelved proposals, including upgrades for NSTP and faculty ranks. with reports from Marco Luis D. Beech, Sydney Venice V. Berba, Micah G. Pascua, Amanda Luella A. Rivera, Ella Mae A. Sison
