AB faculty union raises concerns over new outside, exclusive employment rule

THE ARTS and Letters Faculty Association (ALFA) has expressed concerns over the outside and exclusive employment provisions of UST’s newly released ethical guidelines, saying it contradicts the University’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

In a letter to the UST Faculty Union (USTFU) dated October 15, ALFA said the University’s updated Institutional Standards of Professional Ethics (ISPE), which implements a blanket ban on outside employment during paid or unpaid leave, falls in conflict with the 2026 CBA.

“ALFA respectfully brings to attention two potential grievance items under the CBA, several serious concerns that merit clarification, and offers constructive suggestions to guide improvements in the next iteration of the ISPE,” the group said.

According to ALFA, the ban overlaps with the bargained terms under the CBA, which limits the use of unpaid leave only to prevent working at another academic institution.

The union added that the requirement for exclusivity is not included within the CBA, which defined “full-time” employment based on a teaching load of 15 or more units per semester.

The group also sought clarification on certain items including how appeals are processed, the definition of official representative, digital-conduct provisions, and academic freedom and conduct rules.

To improve the new ethical guidelines, ALFA suggested the inclusion of an extra-mural speech harbor, a rule protecting faculty members speaking as private citizens outside their official duties.

It also proposed the adoption of an American Association of University Professors (AUUP) style in due process such as written charges, faculty hearing, clear-and convincing standard, written reasons, appeal and a published sanction matrix.

The AUUP is a US-based professional association tasked to develop standards and principles for quality education and academic freedom.

“Finally, ALFA stands ready to participate in any joint endeavor of USTFU and the University to improve the ISPE—drawing where appropriate, on readily available ethics codes from prestigious Catholic universities abroad—so that our policy remains responsive, mission consistent and aligned with international standards,” the union said. F