THE UNIVERSITY and UST Faculty Union (USTFU) have decided to move the Dangal ng UST Awards to a later date for a “more conducive celebratory atmosphere,” as both parties remain locked in a dispute over a new salary and benefits package.
In a memorandum from the Office of the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, UST announced that the May 9 awards will be rescheduled to Aug. 15 to “allow the organizers to enhance the preparations for the occasion.”
All classes on May 9, which were initially set to shift to asynchronous mode, will now proceed as scheduled.
“Our Thomasian educators deserve nothing less than a gracious recognition for their achievements and a festive thanksgiving for all the blessings,” Vice Rector for Academic Affairs Cheryl Peralta said.
“We hope and pray that rescheduling the event to a later date will result in a more conducive celebratory atmosphere and likewise, allow the organizers to enhance the preparations for the occasion,” she added.
The deferment is backdropped by the deadlocked negotiations for the 2021-2026 collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which both parties hope to resolve before the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB).
Both parties have yet to resolve the dispute after five conferences with government mediators.
In the second meeting with NCMB, UST management and USTFU reached an agreement on three economic provisions: benefits for National Service Training Program facilitators, lower emergency loan interest, and a timeframe to discuss 11th- and 12th-month pay.
READ: UST admin, faculty union reach deal on 3 issues
On April 28, UST vowed to release P27.8 million in faculty’s tuition hike share on or before May 20. Union negotiators also asked administration representatives to present their final offer for the CBA.
After the fifth conciliation conference held April 29, USTFU said the final NCMB meeting will now be on May 6, where management and union representatives are expected to tackle their final positions.
Based on updates from USTFU, three crucial provisions remain disputed: hospitalization coverage, the source of the rank upgrade fund, and the timeframe for the release of faculty’s share of tuition hikes.
Co-organized by OVRAA and USTFU, the upcoming 24th to 26th installment of Dangal ng UST Awards will honor the achievements of the teaching and non-teaching academic staff in teaching, research, and community and extension services.
The awarding ceremony will be held at the Quadricentennial Pavilion and will cover faculty achievements from the Academic Years (AY) 2021-2022, 2022-2023, and 2023-2024.
