THE UST Faculty Union (USTFU) has called for a vote on the administration’s final offer for a new salary and benefits package, as pressure mounts on both sides to strike a deal after years of delay.
The March 10 vote is not yet a ratification as the labor union and management have yet to sign a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) covering the years 2021 to 2026.
Rather, union negotiators want the 1,400-strong faculty to decide on two remaining contentious economic issues — medical and hospitalization benefits and P26 million in salary upgrades based on rank.
UST management offered to increase the medical benefits cap to P150,000 annually plus P300,000 for critical illness, but the latter is conditional upon the faculty’s acceptance of P17 million in rank-based salary upgrades, the Varsitarian has learned. Union negotiators wanted P26 million.
A “yes” vote means the faculty member accepts the administration’s final proposal, allowing the CBA to be ratified once finalized. A “no” vote signals rejection of the offer and support for declaring a deadlock in CBA talks.
If USTFU members vote to declare a deadlock, possible outcomes include the filing of a notice of strike with the DOLE, mediation or arbitration, or resumption of talks to seek a resolution.
The voting on March 10 will be conducted via secret ballot and will dictate the direction of the CBA, or the contract for salaries and other terms and conditions of work negotiated periodically.
Schools are required by law to set aside at least 70% of tuition increases to salaries, wages, allowances, and other benefits of teaching and non-teaching personnel.
Delays
Originally scheduled on Jan. 14, the vote was postponed at the request of the USTFU board in the hopes of last-minute “compromises” and “better offers” from the UST administration in the CBA negotiations, which took one year.
However, after six more weeks of negotiations, the union president, Asst. Prof. Emerito Gonzales, said little progress was made and negotiations came to a “virtual halt – with both sides refusing to budge.”
“We the CBA panel originally planned to consult with all of you as early as January 2025, and then filed a deadlock at DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment); but out of extended consideration, we acceded to the request of the USTFU Board to go back one more time to the negotiating table,” Gonzales wrote in a letter to union members dated March 5.
Gonzales said the panel attempted to continue haggling with revised counter-proposals but was “rejected consecutively several times” by the UST administration panel.
“This is why, in the spirit of transparency, we come to all of you, our dear union members, who are the highest decision-making body of our Union, and those who have the final say in this CBA,” he said.
Faculty CBA talks have often been delayed. By law, economic provisions should already go through renegotiation midway into the term of the CBA, but the coverage of the 2021-2026 CBA is already in its penultimate year.
Some faculty members have pointed out to the Varsitarian that the delays have historically presented a double whammy — inflation and tax.
With years of no salary increases, faculty members were unable to benefit from increased purchasing power. And when delayed CBAs were finally ratified, lump-sum adjustments were subjected to higher tax rates under higher income brackets.
Final offer
The administration’s final offer includes a P1.5-million salary upgrade for Senior High School (SHS) faculty, a drop from the original P10.5 million proposal, the Varsitarian has learned.
The P8.9-million difference will instead be added to faculty back pay reckoned from 2021, which will total P87.5 million.
In October, UST denied the union’s request for the immediate release of teachers’ share of tuition increases, saying this must be negotiated under a CBA. In December, USTFU requested a legal opinion from the Commission on Higher Education.
Gonzales urged faculty members to participate in the pivotal vote.
“This is your CBA; this is OUR CBA! Each one of us, whether tenured, probationary, or contractual shall benefit from its gains. Make your voice be heard; make your vote be counted!” he said.
