Feb. 15, 2015, 2:34 p.m. – THE SUPREME Court has denied
the UST Faculty Union’s (USTFU) motion to reconsider a ruling junking a claim
for P26 million in hospitalization and medical benefits, terminating the case
against the University.
In a decision dated Oct. 22, the court denied the motion
“with finality,” saying there was no “substantial argument” presented
to merit a reconsideration.
“The Court resolves to deny the motion with finality, the
basic issues raised therein having been duly considered and passed upon by the
Court in the aforesaid decision and no substantial argument having been adduced
to warrant the reconsideration sought,” the decision read.
USTFU filed its motion for reconsideration last Sept. 15,
claiming the high court erred in its decision that sided with UST.
In its July 30 decision, the court rejected USTFU’s claim
because hospitalization and medical benefits under the 1996-2001 Collecting
Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and the 1999 memorandum of agreement did not carry
over to succeeding years. The carry-over provision is found only in the
2001-2006 and 2006-2011 CBAs.
The faculty union’s complaint was also dismissed because
causes of action for unfair labor practice expire after one year, while money
claims within employee-employer relations expire after three years.
“Considering the denial by the Supreme Court of USTFU’s motion
for reconsideration, the case is now considered closed and terminated,” UST
Legal Counsel Associate Ian Jerny De Leon said in an e-mail interview.
The dispute between the two parties started in 2007, over
whether UST’s annual contributions to the USTFU hospitalization and medical
benefits fund should be one-time or cumulative given annual increases in
tuition. Arianne F. Merez
