MORE THAN a hundred high-ranking professors, not just 17, will receive over half a million pesos in back wages, UST said, refuting yet another claim by the UST Faculty Union (USTFU) amid a dispute over a new salary and benefits deal.
In a statement released April 5, UST said it was “misleading” and “inaccurate” to claim that only 17 of the 2,000-strong faculty members are qualified to receive at least P500,000 in back wages.
The USTFU figure was reported by campus and mainstream news outlets following the faculty union’s filing of a notice of strike on March 25.
It represents increases dating back to 2020 that were withheld due to the delayed collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which UST said is necessary before any distribution, as it has been the “established practice or custom in the University.”
“This long-standing approach ensures that the distribution of adjustments is anchored on a final and mutually agreed framework between the University and the faculty union, safeguarding fairness and transparency,” it said.
READ: Faculty union files notice of strike before labor department
In its press release on March 25, USTFU claimed UST’s offer “disproportionately benefits a small fraction of the faculty” as “only about 17 professors are set to receive the highlighted back pay of nearly P500,000, while the vast majority of faculty members will receive substantially less.”
Faculty members eligible for the largest back wages are those ranked Professors 4 to 5.
While the original December 2024 computation did not specify how many faculty members fell under each rank, UST said in its new statement that, as of Dec. 31, 2024, 52 academic staff were set to receive at least P500,000.
Back pay up by 10% after recalculation
UST also said it recalculated the back wages on March 31, explaining that the amount includes allowances for meals and transportation, signing bonuses, term-end perks, and applicable share from the P26-milion rank upgrade.
READ: EXPLAINER: How much will UST profs get under proposed salary, benefits deal?
Based on the updated computation, the minimum back pay for those ranked Instructor 1 increased to P314,000 from P284,000. Meanwhile, those ranked Professor 5 will receive the highest amount, up to P570,000 from the original P520,000.
In total, 137 faculty — all full professors — are set to receive at least P500,000.
UST emphasized that distinctions between the back wage amounts are necessary to ensure an “equitable” distribution of faculty benefits.
Apart from teachers’ rank and load, their designation — whether general faculty, high school teachers, guidance counselors, librarians, and National Service Training Program facilitators — was also factored into the computation.
“A uniform or flat distribution — regardless of distinctions in rank, tenure, or academic contributions — would not lead to an equitable outcome and may even undermine the value of long-standing meritorious service,” UST said.
Amid calls from USTFU for a “just share for all,” UST called for a “just and equitable distribution” of faculty benefits.
“The University remains fully committed to providing a just and equitable distribution of faculty benefits and reaffirms its openness to constructive dialogue in the best interest of the entire Thomasian community,” the University said.
UST has recently become more active in countering the union’s claims, with the impasse in the year-long CBA negotiations escalating into an industrial dispute that may lead to a strike as early as May 2.
READ: UST nixes ‘misleading, inaccurate’ claims of P12 billion in ‘earnings’
Union and management officials are set to meet again on April 7 with the NCMB for conciliation and mediation.
In late March, UST management formally sought the intervention of the labor secretary, a move that, if granted, could fast-track the CBA through compulsory arbitration.
