FACED WITH a looming faculty strike over unresolved issues on salaries and other benefits, UST vowed to continue holding “good faith” negotiations with its academic staff as it enumerated its efforts to promote their welfare and professional growth.
In a statement released after the UST Faculty Union (USTFU) filed a notice of strike on Tuesday, March 25, the University said it remains “steadfast in its commitment to fairness, transparency and full compliance with the law” despite the impasse.
“The University will continue to engage in good faith discussions with USTFU to finalize a just and sustainable CBA (collective bargaining agreement),” UST said.
The Dominican-run institution said it truly invests in its people and is exerting efforts to attract, develop and retain the best talent, citing various initiatives such as graduate studies programs and research grants and “competitive” pay.
“The University of Santo Tomas recognizes its academic staff as its most vital resource, essential to sustaining its tradition of excellence and fulfilling its vision as a leading Catholic institution of higher learning in the Asia-Pacific,” it said.
“Over the past quarter century, UST has supported more than 600 academic staff in completing graduate studies in widely recognized local and international institutions of higher learning in the Philippines and abroad a unique benefit that sets it apart from other institutions.”
The statement was issued in response to the USTFU’s filing of a notice of strike before the labor department to seek the agency’s intervention in the contentious CBA that recently reached a deadlock.
READ: UST faculty union files strike notice as impasse on benefits remains unresolved
UST said it approaches CBA negotiations as a “collaborative platform for meaningful dialogue” with the USTFU to identify and address the needs of academic staff.
“Central to this process is the distinction between needs—essential for professional growth and institutional stability—and wants, which, while valuable, may require careful evaluation and prioritization as the management addresses the concerns of our academic staff along with other equally important stakeholders,” it said.
So far, there are two unresolved items in the CBA, namely the P26 million allocation sourced from tuition increases for rank upgrades and senior high school salary restructuring and the administration’s offer to raise the critical illness benefit from P200,000 to P300,000 per year.
Acknowledging the “finite nature of resources,” the University said tuition increases serve as a “sustainable funding source” for salary and benefit improvements and facility upgrades.
“While immediate needs are addressed within the current CBA cycle, others may be deferred for future cycles or re-evaluated based on their urgency and alignment with shared goals,” it said.
UST said while it did not accept the faculty union’s request for a 100% hospitalization coverage, it proposed a “balanced approach” by replenishing the hospitalization fund from the tuition hike shares while introducing a critical illness benefit.
Proposals for the salary restructuring of the Senior High School are also underway to ensure competitive salaries for its academic staff, the University added.
UST also pointed out that it did not displace any tenured academic personnel during the K-to-12 transition and offered Senior High School programs to retain tertiary-rank faculty members without reducing their salaries.
It also mentioned its efforts to ensure that there would be no disruptions or delays in staff salaries and benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. While other educational institutions reduced the compensation for their faculty, the CBA for the 2016-2021 cycle online was completed while academic staff members were given “goodwill bonuses” and assistance so they can navigate the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic, UST said.
“Beyond legal mandates, the University provides additional benefits tailored to prioritized needs, ensuring long-term stability for the institution while fostering the well-being and professional growth of its academic staff,” it added.
The University called on the Thomasian community to pray for the swift completion of the CBA deadlock and the completion of the negotiations. F
