THE UNIVERSITY has granted the UST Faculty Union’s (USTFU) petition to excuse from class all union members who will participate in the strike vote scheduled on May 15, but urged teachers to conduct asynchronous and alternative classes to avoid disruption.
In a letter addressed to USTFU President Emerito Gonzales, UST Secretary General Fr. Louie Coronel, O.P., said union members may cast their votes only on Thursday, as the strike vote will coincide with the special general assembly convened by USTFU.
Union members must also have their attendance checked, as only those included in the official USTFU tally, which will be forwarded to the Office of the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, would be excused from conducting examinations or regular in-person and synchronous classes.
“Academic Staff may cast their ballots on the same day, 15 May 2025, at the Medicine Cinematorium, as indicated in your letter. This arrangement is intended to prevent further disruption of classes, especially as the academic term nears its conclusion,” Coronel said in his letter to Gonzales dated May 12.
The USTFU assembly will take place at the Medicine Auditorium of the San Martin de Porres Building from 8 a.m. to 12 noon. Voting will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 15 and from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 16.
The strike vote comes after the final National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) conference between UST union and management on May 13, where the two parties still failed to find common ground between their “final offers” for the 2021-2026 collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
Union and management negotiators have yet to agree on three major economic benefits: the rank upgrade fund, the hospitalization benefit, and the timeframe for releasing the faculty’s mandatory 70% share of tuition increases.
While the USTFU will conduct a strike vote, Gonzales clarified that no work stoppage would arise even if the majority of the 1,343 union members — or 673 — voted “yes,” meaning rejection of UST management’s final offer and a strike.
A “no” vote means the faculty member accepts UST management’s offer and will support the ratification of the long-delayed CBA.
According to the NCMB manual, a strike vote is done by secret balloting among union members and will determine whether or not to declare a strike, which is “any temporary stoppage of work by the concerted action of employees as a result of a labor or industrial dispute.”
Gonzales said a strike would be prohibited under a situation of an assumption of jurisdiction, though the Secretary of Labor has yet to announce whether it would finally step in over the industrial dispute.
Coronel reminded the union to conduct the strike vote in a “peaceful and disciplined manner” to avoid disruptions in ongoing academic activities.
“The University expresses its sincere appreciation for the continued commitment of our academic staff to both their professional responsibilities and their active engagement in matters concerning their welfare,” he said.
“May this occasion further strengthen our shared mission of forming minds and hearts in the pursuit of Veritas in Caritate.” Micah G. Pascua
