THE UST Faculty Union (USTFU) has its sights set on ratifying the long-delayed 2021-2026 collective bargaining agreement (CBA) in June.
It will be just two months before talks resume during the renegotiation stage planned for August.
The short timeframe in between the talks is because CBAs — particularly their economic provisions — enter renegotiation midway through their term. The package USTFU and UST are eyeing to finalize by June is already in its penultimate year.
A settlement was brokered under the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) on May 20, eliminating roadblocks on four provisions: the timeframe for releasing the faculty’s mandatory 70% share of tuition increases, the tertiary rank upgrade fund, the hospitalization benefit, and the expanded vacation leave for non-teaching staff.
In a press briefing on May 23, USTFU President Emerito Gonzales said the faculty’s mandatory share of tuition hike increases, amounting to P220 million, would be distributed once the CBA was ratified.
“We also acknowledge and appreciate the substantial increase in UST’s contribution from its other sources of income, an unprecedented move in recent CBA history that reflects an institutional recognition of the faculty’s role in sustaining and advancing the University’s mission beyond tuition revenue,” he said.
UST earlier released the faculty’s P27.8-million tuition hike share from AY 2020-2021 on May 20.
After 25 years, the USTFU was able to negotiate an improved hospitalization benefit of up to 100% coverage from a fixed P100,000 reimbursement per faculty member.
The hospitalization perk, proposed to be named “Pope Francis Hospitalization and Medical Benefit Fund,” will undergo a two-year trial period and is exclusive to UST Hospital.
However, if the union’s total hospitalization expenses exceed P10 million, the reimbursement mechanism will shift to a tiered scheme, as proposed by the NCMB:
- P10 to 15 million cost = P750,000 reimbursement;
- P15 to 21 million = P500,000 reimbursement; and
- More than P21 million = P150,000 regular confinement and P350,000 for critical care.
The provision granting non-teaching staff an additional two-day vacation leave was also granted.
The tertiary rank upgrade was reduced to P6 million from P17 million, while the P10.5-million salary restructuring fund for Senior High School faculty members was deferred for discussion during the renegotiation. Both will be charged to tuition hike collections.
Gonzales said the NCMB mediators carefully considered the proposal of both parties before meeting to combine the union’s tiered system proposal with management’s suggestions to reach a compromise.
“Pinakinggan muna ng NCMB bawat side and then nag-meet ‘yong mga NCMB mediators. It’s like kukuha sila ng magandang idea mo pero ‘yung … tier system, galing sa union, then prinesent nila sa management,” Gonzales told the Varsitarian.
“Ang ginawa nila naging creative sila na pinag-combine ‘yong suggestion ng management, suggestion ng union and then they offered to [both parties],” he added.
He thanked faculty union members for trusting the USTFU panel throughout the year-long negotiations.
“Whatever we have achieved as a panel — these are not our victories alone. They are yours,” he told union members. “They are the fruit of your mandate, your courage, and your collective resolve to entrust us with the authority to declare a deadlock, file a notice of strike, and defend our position before the Department of Labor and Employment.”
Gonzales clarified that the USTFU did not want the deadlock to lead to a strike, and said union negotiators were just seeking government mediation.
“‘Yong fears na gano’n ay hindi namin talaga intended na umabot doon. We just wanted the NCMB, the DOLE, to mediate and to understand our position,” he said. “There is a compromise and there were rays of hope, and na-realize natin.”
Union and management negotiators are set to meet before the end of May to finalize the CBA.
After the UST management and USTFU sign the new CBA, there will be five calendar days before a general assembly of the union membership is called for ratification.
Within 30 days of signing a CBA, the parties must submit copies to the Department of Labor and Employment or its regional offices for registration, along with verified proof of posting at two visible workplace locations and ratification by the majority of workers.
The labor department will process the registration within five calendar days.
