THE UST Faculty Union (USTFU) has sought the intervention of the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) after its plea to release part of faculty members’ share of tuition hike proceeds was denied again by UST.
In a letter dated Dec. 18, USTFU President Emerito Gonzales requested CHEd to issue a legal opinion on the union’s request.
UST Rector Fr. Richard Ang, O.P. had rejected a Dec. 2 request from the USTFU board to partially release tuition hike proceeds.
READ: Faculty union’s Christmas wish: Release partial share of tuition hikes
According to Gonzales, UST collected tuition increases amounting to P129 million in Academic Year (AY) 2020-2021, P103 million in AY 2021-2022, P128 million in AY 2022-2023, and P214 million in AY 2023-2024.
UST reported to the union panel that 70% of these amounts, corresponding to P90 million, P72 million, P89 million, and P149 million for each succeeding AY, had been set aside for the faculty, the letter stated.
“I kindly seek the assistance of CHEd in addressing these pressing matters and facilitating the release of the TFI (tuition increase) share, should you find our claim to be meritorious,” Gonzales said in his letter to CHEd Chairman J. Prospero de Vera.
UST wants to avoid ‘legal issues’
In a Dec. 17 letter, Ang rejected the plea of the union board, insisting that procedure must be followed, meaning UST and USTFU needed to sign a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) first.
USTFU made the request to release the tuition hike share as negotiations for a new CBA, a contract for terms and conditions of work, have stalled over key economic and health benefits.
Ang also said UST wanted to avoid “legal and compliance issues” and other “risks” if it released the amount before signing a new CBA.
The USTFU board requested the release of P50,000 for full-time academic staff and up to P25,000 for part-time teachers before Christmas. These amounts represent a portion of the faculty’s share of tuition hikes implemented starting 2021.
“We cannot accede to your request for a partial TFI (tuition increase) release at this time. This is also in deference to the mandate given to the CBA Management Panel to facilitate a swift completion of the CBA negotiations,” Ang said.
“While we understand and empathize with the challenges outlined in your request, we must carefully balance these considerations with legal, financial, and procedural obligations,” he added.
Ang also argued that the partial release of the tuition hike proceeds was not discussed with the UST management panel during CBA talks.
He assured the union that UST was “committed to working with USTFU in good faith to expedite the conclusion of the CBA negotiations, ensuring a fair and just agreement for all parties involved.”
This is the second time this year that UST thumbed down USTFU’s appeal for the release of teachers’ tuition hike share.
UST turned down an Oct. 15 petition from the union, saying the amount must be negotiated under a CBA.
Questions to CHEd
Gonzales outlined three questions to the CHEd regarding the CBA supposedly being a prerequisite to the distribution of the faculty’s share in tuition hikes.
First, he asked the CHEd to release copies of schools’ Certificate of Intended Compliance and Certificate of Compliance. UST’s Certificate of Compliance, submitted to CHEd, states that tuition hikes are “being used for the payment of increase in salaries, wages, allowances and other benefits of its teaching and non-teaching personnel.”
Second, Gonzales inquired about the mandated timeline for the release of the 70% share of tuition hikes, which by law must be allocated to salaries, wages, allowances, and other benefits of teaching and non-teaching personnel.
Gonzales’s letter also questioned whether the completion of CBA negotiations was necessary before releasing the tuition hike share.
Negotiations between the UST administration and the USTFU for a new CBA reached a deadlock on Nov. 22, according to union negotiators.
Discord within USTFU
In a separate letter to union members on Dec. 19, Gonzales urged union members to uphold a united front ahead of their general assembly on Jan. 14, 2025, where they would vote on declaring a deadlock with the UST administration over the stalled CBA talks.
Some union members have questioned the USTFU CBA negotiators’ contention that a deadlock had been reached.
READ: Union sets Jan. 14 vote over deadlock in talks for new faculty salary, benefits deal
“I humbly acknowledge that fostering this unity has become a significant challenge, particularly among us as officers of USTFU, for which we collectively bear responsibility,” Gonzales said.
“Let us not forget that the strength of our collective bargaining power is rooted in the unity we uphold — together, we are stronger and more capable of achieving our shared goals,” he said.