The University of Santo Tomas (UST) management and the UST Faculty Union (USTFU) have reached a settlement on the benefits and salaries of teachers, ending a months-long dispute that had reached the labor department and had threatened to lead to a strike.
The development was announced by the administration and the faculty union in a joint statement, which was issued on the same day the management released more than half of teachers’ P27.8 million tuition hike shares for the academic year 2020-2021.
“With this development, UST and USTFU will now return to the plant level to finalize and execute the collective bargaining agreement,” the joint statement read.
“This settlement marks a significant step forward for both parties, reflecting a shared commitment to dialogue, mutual respect, and constructive resolution. More importantly, it reinforces our unity and shared purpose of advancing the interests of the academic community.”
The statement did not provide specifics on the settlement, which was reached almost two months after the negotiations hit a deadlock that prompted the USTFU to file notice of strike before the Department and Labor and Employment (DOLE).
The administration and USTFU are expected to hold a press briefing soon to discuss the details of the settlement.
Hospitalization and medical benefits were among the most contentious provisions in the collective bargaining agreement. During the seventh meeting facilitated by the DOLE’s mediation board, the faculty union asked for 100% hospitalization benefits at the UST Hospital, which is to be backed by a reverting tiered reimbursement system once cumulative expenses exceed P16 million at any point within the academic year.
The UST management panel rejected the request for permanent full medical coverage in numerous instances. According to an USTFU report, the administration proposed to increase critical illness coverage from P300,000 to P350,000 and base medical coverage from P100,000 to P150,000. It also raised the hospitalization fund’s proposed one-time addition from P3 million to P7 million, which will be sourced outside the faculty’s tuition hike shares.
