THE UST Faculty Union (USTFU) officially declared a deadlock in the 2021-2026 collective bargaining agreement talks on Friday, March 14, saying it will take legal remedies if the University administration fails to resolve the impasse within the “cooling off” period.
The USTFU panel members said they would file a notice of strike before the Department of Labor and Employment National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) if the deadlock is not addressed after five working days upon the issuance of the declaration.
“Pursuant to our ground rules, we, the USTFU CBA (collective bargaining agreement) panel, will observe the ‘cooling off’ period of five (5) working days from today. If the impasse on the above items has not been resolved after such “cooling off” period, we shall be constrained to avail of our legal remedies under the Labor Code, which includes the filing of a Notice of Strike with [NCMB],” a letter signed by USTFU negotiators and addressed to management panel head Prof. Cheryl Peralta read.
The letter was signed by USTFU president Asst. Prof. Emerito Gonzales, Asst. Prof. Jonathan Cabero, Asst. Prof. Maria Victoria Bongar, Asst. Prof. Edilberto Gonzaga, Asst. Prof. Crisencio Paner and junior teacher Pocholo Mari Arabit.
The panel members called for the release of 89% or P220 million derived from tuition hikes shares from academic years 2020-2021 until 2023-2024.
“We believe that the University has the moral and legal obligation to immediately release these amounts to all academic staff and to not hold the same as a hostage in this labor dispute,” they added.
The union is also seeking the 100% hospitalization benefit for all members, an annual Christmas bonus worth P15,000 to P30,000 and the reduction of emergency loan interest from 6% to 4%.
A P26 million allocation for senior high school (SHS) and a doctoral and master’s instructor rank upgrade, which will be sourced from UST’s other streams of income, was also lobbied by the USTFU. The union also called for a “genuine” longevity pay, which are salary hikes based on years of service.
The union likewise requested a two-day vacation leave for non-teaching academic staff and an 11th and 12th-month pay for all tenured faculty members. It also appealed for salary improvement of the National Service Training Program facilities, which would be directly sourced from the program’s fund.
In terms of leave policies, the USTFU requested that the return service of sabbatical leave be adjusted from 1:3 to 1:2 and the unused sick leave per year be lengthened from 15 to 20 days.
It also sought a compensatory time-off for the junior high school staff who are required to report beyond regular working hours or during day-off for school activities, such as student retreats, exposure, recollection, immersion, outbound activities, camping and junior-senior prom.
The University has denied allegations of unfair labor practices and stagnant faculty salaries, saying it is committed to allocating the faculty members’ tuition hike shares and engaging in “good faith” negotiations in pursuit of a fair bargaining deal.
Last week, the Commission on Higher Education directed the University to respond to allegations that it violated provisions on allocation of tuition fee increases. The commission said it would proceed with appropriate actions if UST fails to provide an explanation within 15 days. F — Joss Gabriel Oliveros
