A MEMORANDUM of Agreement (MOA) on educational benefits between the administration and the UST Faculty Union (USTFU) was ratified during the union’s general assembly at the Medicine Cinematorium last Nov. 12.
The MOA seeks to exempt the educational benefits of faculty members from taxes making it an educational grant through the Research and Endowment Foundation Incorporated (REFI).
“As a result, this benefit would cease to be considered as part of our compensation. Instead it would now be considered as a grant, which by its nature is exempt from taxes,” USTFU vice-president for grievance and complaints Prof. Minerva Rivera said.
The benefit enjoyed in the previous CBA 1996-2001 will be transferred to the REFI, which was created by the University to enhance research and to support faculties enjoying educational benefits.
However, the officers explained that in any event the REFI dissolves or discontinues the grant for whatever reason, the benefit will again be taxable as the law provides. It will then be up to the University to shoulder the expenses of the grant as before.
According to USTFU president Dr. Gil Gamilla, the MOA opens the possibility of renegotiation after May 2002.
Meanwhile, the USTFU panel and the administration approved a number of political provisions in their CBA talks.
In the new CBA proposal, department chairs will now be part of the administration. There will be no decrease of benefits in this turnover.
In addition, complaints against a faculty member should be filed within 30 days after the alleged malfeasance or issue. Beyond 30 days, the complaint will not be recognized anymore.
“‘Yung mga kasalanang nagawa natin, kinakalkal iyan tuwing promotion year. Ngayon, magagamit lang iyan sa promotion year (but) when it was committed after that hindi mo na pwedeng gamitin sa susunod na promotion year,” Dr. Gamilla said.
Moreover, the end of a contract shall no longer be a cause of termination and a just cause shall be given before a faculty member is fired.
There will also be a new faculty classification called resident faculty. This classification is for faculty members who give 40 hours of teaching divided into eight units of teaching and six units of research.
To have a two-way relationship, faculty members can now file cases against any administrator. Dr. Gamilla said complains should have a just cause and basis.
Meanwhile, in the year 2004-2005, instead of hiring new professors, tenured faculty members will be allowed to take an overload of six units. From 2005 onwards, 24 units will be guaranteed to all tenured members.
Many provisions are still under discussion like the reclassification of the librarians as non-teaching staff and making of faculty club presidents members of the faculty council in the handling of issues affecting faculty members. USTFU is also pushing for the automatic conversion of lecturers to tenured track. Maria Pacita C. Joson
