UST mgmt and employees ink P350M CBA

MANILA, Philippines - A looming strike at the country’s oldest university was averted as management and teaching personnel of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) finally forged a new collective bargaining agreement.

The National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) yesterday reported that UST faculty union and management forged a P350 million CBA agreement after three years of negotiations.

“The five-year CBA between UST and UST Faculty Union (USTFU) ended a tension-filled situation between the administration and the faculty of the university,” NCMB executive director Reynaldo Ubaldo said.

USTFU represents the university’s 1,243 teaching personnel.

Ubaldo said the CBA negotiations previously ended in a deadlock and quickly progressed from a Preventive Mediation to a Notice of Strike in a span of three weeks.

Last February, the UST administration, filed a Preventive Mediation Case after failed negotiations while the union filed a notice of strike.

Despite the tension and looming strike, Ubaldo said, management and union managed to reach a compromise agreement. 

Both parties signed last March 10 a compromise agreement involving an economic package estimated at P350 million.

The economic package includes a 19 percent salary hike for general faculty compared to the 3 percent salary increase stipulated in the previous CBA.

The wage increase also covers high school teachers, guidance counselors, and librarians. 

The agreement also provides a P15,000 signing bonus and an additional P7,500 “goodwill bonus” from the Rector of the University.

Other economic benefits stipulated in the agreement includes Christmas, anniversary and birthday bonuses, clothing, laundry, and meal allowances.

Another highlight of the settlement was the reduction of full-time load for the general faculty, slashing three units from the 24 unit load without salary cuts.

Ubaldo said the reduced full-time load shall first apply to full professors for academic year 2014-2015 and the provision shall be applied to all instructors in AY 2017-2018.

UST employs a total of 2,565 employees.