THE OUTGOING president of the UST Faculty Union (USTFU) expressed hope that the next leaders would sustain and strengthen the gains achieved by the organization as his term nears its end.
USTFU president Asst. Prof. Emerito Gonzales, who was elected in 2021, said future officers should continue advancing the union’s initiatives and remain active in strengthening the organization’s capacity to represent faculty members.
“I hope that they will not let go of the gains that we have achieved. Whoever [the next leaders] are, they should continue them and strengthen them even more,” Gonzales told The Flame after the union’s general assembly on Friday, March 13.
The faculty union is expected to elect its next set of officers next month, with the present leadership’s term ending on March 31.
In a Feb. 10 circular to faculty members, Gonzales said the elections must be held within April, five years after the previous polls in February 2021.
“[The] election will be within April. Our last term of office would be until the end of March. So by April, the Comelec’s office will take over,” the union chief said.
CBA renegotiation underway
Gonzales also confirmed during the assembly that the union has submitted proposals for the renegotiation of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which is awaiting a counter-proposal from the University administration.
The proposals were submitted on July 9 and are now being studied by the administration’s lawyers.
During the business hour of the general assembly, Gonzales said the faculty’s share from tuition fee increases should be treated as the “floor” and not the “ceiling,” a lesson from previous CBA negotiations that he said highlighted the need to consider other University income sources.
Among the proposals of the union was the permanent separation of the tuition hike share discussion from the CBA negotiations, which Gonzales previously described as the “ideal” system implemented in other universities.
READ: UST Faculty Union wants tuition hike benefits separated from CBA negotiations
Under Article 261 of the Labor Code, which governs the CBA negotiations, the University is expected to respond within 10 calendar days before both parties return to the negotiations.
“The moment they already have a counter-proposal, we will meet,” he said.
The outgoing union president declined to disclose the contents of the proposals, saying it would be premature to release them before formal discussions with UST.
ISPE discussions set
Meanwhile, the faculty union and University officials are expected to meet before Holy Week to discuss the contested provisions in the Institutional Standards of Professional Ethics (ISPE), a policy that previously drew flak from academic staff.
The Arts and Letters Faculty Association previously said the guidelines blanket ban on outside employment during paid or unpaid leave conflicts with the provisions of the CBA.
The faculty group also sought clarification from the administration on provisions involving appeals, academic freedom and conduct rules.
READ: AB faculty union raises concerns over new outside, exclusive employment rule
In a letter dated Nov. 7 last year, UST Rector Fr. Richard Ang, O.P. said the University is open to a dialogue with USTFU once it has established its panel to align its policies with the union.
READ: UST faculty union, admin to discuss ethical standards on outside employment
According to Gonzales, both parties are working toward issuing a joint statement clarifying disputed provisions of the guidelines.
“We will meet again before Holy Week because we questioned the ISPE that they composed with the Father Rector,” he said.
No quorum
The union’s general assembly also failed to reach the required quorum or turnout to make valid decisions, hampering the approval of a proposed P1.8 million donation to Caritas Philippines.
“We did not meet the quorum for our general assembly… basically the P1.8 million donation was not approved,” Gonzales said.
The donation stemmed from a proposal to forego the union’s 2025 Christmas party and instead allocate the budget to assist victims of recent typhoons.
A survey conducted among faculty members from Nov. 8 to 12 showed that the majority of members preferred holding a Holy Mass instead of a Christmas party and donating the estimated P1.8 million savings to calamity victims.
However, under the union’s constitution and bylaws, such funds must be authorized through a resolution adopted by the general membership during a duly called general assembly.
Because the required quorum was not reached during the assembly, the proposal could not be formally approved. Gonzales said the matter would likely be handled by the next set of officers.
“I will just explain to Bishop [Gerardo Alminaza] that the next set of officers will handle it,” he added.
Gonzales said the future officers should actively participate in capacity-building activities as union leadership requires preparation and training.
“Even if you already have a doctorate in philosophy or biology, the dynamics are different when you are handling and mobilizing people,” he added.
Leadership development, according to Gonzales, should not be limited to the union president but should involve the entire set of officers.
“I hope the next officers will not leave it only to the president to attend those trainings. They themselves should also attend so they can understand,” he said. F
