(UPDATED March 11, 2025)
THE PRESIDENT of the UST Faculty Union has clarified that the proposed critical illness benefit in the faculty’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA) won’t be tied to the teachers’ vote on UST’s “final” salary and benefits offer.
USTFU President Emerito Gonzales cited an email from Vice Rector for Academic Affairs Cheryl Peralta saying the critical illness coverage would remain in the deal regardless of the outcome of the vote on the P17-million allocation for salary upgrades.
“Hindi siya magagalaw. So, ibig sabihin, hindi na siya conditional talaga,” Gonzales told the Varsitarian, referring to the medical perks and citing the email from Peralta dated March 6.
Peralta also made a correction in an letter to the Varsitarian on March 11, saying that the P200,000 critical illness benefit remains “intact.”
The amount will go up to P300,000 if USTFU agrees to the allocation of tuition increases, she said.
“The published claim that the amount would be ‘reduced to P200,000’ is therefore misleading and inaccurate,” Peralta said.
The allocation of tuition hikes, 70 percent of which must go to salaries of faculty and support staff, includes P17 million for salary upgrades.
The only remaining conditional offer from the UST administration is the additional two-day vacation leave for guidance counselors and librarians. If unionized faculty members vote to reject the final offer, the expanded leave provision will be scrapped.
Bereavement leave for faculty members will be extended to 10 days from seven days.
Previously, the leave began on the exact day of death listed on the certificate, a policy Gonzales said was impractical for teachers managing work and travel.
“Seven days lang. Maiksi. Una, hindi ka basta-basta makakakalis sa trabaho mo kasi may tasks ka as teacher. Pangalawa, […] hindi ka naman agad-agad na makakakuha ng flight,” the USTFU president said.
This leave benefit is proposed to begin on the first class day that the faculty member requires substitutes but no later than five days from the date of death, according to Peralta’s March 11 letter to the Varsitarian.
March 10 vote a ‘temperature check’
While the law doesn’t require union negotiators to call for a vote before declaring a deadlock in CBA talks, Gonzales said the March 10 vote would serve as a “temperature check” on whether faculty members would support the USTFU if a deadlock was declared.
“Tignan muna natin ang ating ranks. Will they really support us solidly and stand beside us? Hindi lang ang 22 officers ng board ang nando’n kundi [hundreds] more behind us,” Gonzales told the Varsitarian.
In December, Gonzales considered “planting a deadlock” but decided instead to return to the bargaining table with the UST administration in hopes of last-minute “compromises” and “better offers.”
But both sides refused to budge, hence the March 10 union vote.
“Hinahanda mo na ang mga members mo, the ground troops, the supporting cast. Parang mino-mobilize mo na ‘yan. Magpakita na tayo ng show of unity and disagreement to what the other side is offering,” Gonzales said.
“Ang tanong din, are they ready? Are all faculty members ready for that? Are they willing?”
Gonzales also quoted the union’s legal adviser, lawyer General Du.
He said Du stressed the need to secure union members’ support in declaring a deadlock, as not doing so would be like pointing an empty gun.
“Pag nag-deadlock ka, para kang kumukuha ng baril, tinututukan mo ang isang tao. Tanong, may bala ka ba o wala? So kung wala kang bala, bluff lang ‘yan,” Gonzales said, recalling Du analogy.
“Ang bala namin ay ang boto — boto ng general members. Dapat may bala ka and maraming bala. [Dapat] willing talaga all throughout, all the way, nasa likod mo ang general members,” he added.
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.
A 50% plus one vote of the 1,400 tenured and probationary faculty members is needed to make the deadlock official.
Voting will begin at 7 p.m. on March 10 and will end at the same time on March 11.
“Kung ano man ang manalo, kaming panel, magsu-subscribe kami sa will of the majority,” Gonzales said.
Should faculty members vote to declare a deadlock, Gonzales said it could lead to revisiting contested provisions and potential new offers before running to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for intervention.
“It’s a reboot, a fresh start na puwedeng pag-usapan pa ulit ‘yong contestable economic provisions,” he said. “Another way is maybe sa cooling-off period baka may iba pang better offer ang management bago kami umabot sa DOLE.”
Union negotiators will next meet with the UST administration panel on March 14.
