The ongoing labor dispute between the University of Santo Tomas (UST) administration and UST Faculty Union (USTFU) has reached a critical point as faculty members continue to demand crucial economic revisions such as the release of the P220 million back pay from tuition fee increase (TFI) shares and hospitalization benefits under the outdated 2021-2026 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
The current CBA, rooted in the previous 2016-2021 negotiations, was delayed due to the pandemic. Negotiations resumed in 2024 but resulted in a deadlock after nearly a year of heated discussion, leading to the recent filing of the USTFU’s notice of strike.
What began as a dispute over contractual terms has developed into a larger fight for justice, with Thomasian student leaders and teachers from outside the university expressing growing clamor against the university’s failure to engage in good-faith negotiations with the USTFU.
Here is a look at the key events that transpired in the ongoing struggle affecting 2,000 faculty workers who are still waiting for fair and just shares in the CBA.
UST-SHS faculty “deserves better”
Teachers from UST Senior High School (SHS) were imposed with the “bare minimum” as they faced a unilateral reduction from the initial proposal of P10.5 million to P5.5 million and concluded with a P1.5 million budget allocation for salary restructuring.
The UST Faculty Association of Senior High School (FASHS) felt disheartened by the current offer in the CBA. On March 9, the faculty association released a statement to call for fairness and appealed to the faculty members to vote for a deadlock on the negotiations.
“We are being asked to choose between two equally unfavorable options: accept [the] P1.5 million allocation for the salary restructuring […] or vote against it and risk a deadlock. Either way, we stand to lose. But beyond this difficult choice lies an even greater concern—the principle of fairness,” the statement reads.
FASHS further elaborated that the salary adjustments will be distributed based on rankings. Only the teachers with higher ranks will receive a reasonable increase while the majority of the SHS faculty members will receive almost nothing.
“[It’s] either a deadlock or a salary increase that will not even merit the price of [a] kilo of rice. Not even enough to cover daily transportation. And for some, the reality is even worse—they will receive nothing at all since, for the longest time, salary adjustments have been distributed based on ranking.”
Meanwhile, UST Vice Rector for Academic Affairs Cheryl Peralta, who was heading the UST management panel in the CBA negotiations, wrote a letter to the Varsitarian on March 11, claiming that it was the USTFU that refused to allocate funds for the SHS faculty salary upgrades and proposed removing it.
USTFU President Emerito Gonzales quickly refuted Peralta’s statement, saying that it was “misleading” and did not reflect the actual events that happened during the negotiations.
As the faculty union returned to the negotiating table, with a perspective of voting for a deadlock, the administration made a final offer where the initial proposal of a P26 million budget allocation for salary restructuring to all faculty members was reduced to P17 million.
“The administration claimed that if we did not agree to their [initial] plan of P26 million from tuition fee increase shares, they would return the money to the students,” said Gonzales.
The UST management and the faculty union were unable to reach a compromise that resulted in a deadlock where 680 faculty members voted against the proposal while only 400 members supported the offer on March 14.
Striking a stand
Officers of the USTFU made their way to the Department of Labor and Employment in Intramuros after the cooldown from the deadlock to file a notice of strike against the UST administration for their refusal to release the 220 million back pay accumulated from academic years 2020-2021 to 2023-2024 TFI.
“We, the faculty union, insist that hopefully our backpay (P220 million), which has been delayed for four years, be released immediately [and] should not be tied to the ratification of the CBA. The faculty also deserves improved medical benefits (full hospitalization coverage at UST Hospital,” said Gonzales. He also added that these economic provisions should not be seen as a charity since this is “supposed to be what’s legally ours.”
Under Republic Act No. 6728 or An Act Providing Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education, schools are mandated to immediately allocate 70% of the TFI to the salaries and benefits of teaching and non-teaching personnel.
The faculty union rallied behind the show cause order from CHED where the UST management is required to submit a written explanation on their refusal to release the P220 million back pay.
Arts and Letters Faculty Association President Rene Tadle noted that the management could easily source out the P26 million budget allocation from UST’s income-generating projects that have accumulated 11.5 billion throughout the years.
“The 26 million is inconsequential. If they [will] spend 26 million a year, it would take them 433 years before the 11.5 billion runs out.”
As the university released a statement affirming its “commitment to fairness, transparency, and full compliance with the law,” faculty members asserted that they remain reasonable and open-minded in the negotiation process.
As the notice of strike has been filed, USTFU expects that this legal action will hasten the negotiation process without affecting the students.
“This is just between us, the faculty, and the admin. Although we know that the students are sympathetic to us,” said Gonzales.
A night of solidarity
The following day, USTFU hosted a night of solidarity where the Thomasian community gathered in front of the Plaza Mayor for a community prayer and music performance by the teachers.
Student leaders joined the night to share sentiments emphasizing that the ongoing political and economic struggle of the faculty union reflects the same system that burdens students with unjust tuition fee increases.
“The fight against TFI is not merely for economic relief, but also a political struggle, in the realization of the neoliberal framework that exploits us,” Central Student Council PRO Annie Agon emphasized.
Moreover, independent candidate Aaron Olaira, running for Vice President in the UST SHS student council, shared the importance of unity as the fight of their teachers is a shared fight with the students for transparency and accountability.
“Along with the continuous increase in fees, we should also include the call for a just fair for all and the demand for accountability and transparency from an administration that prioritizes profit while neglecting students, teachers, and workers,” he said.
Solidarity statements from various teacher organizations including senatorial candidates Leody de Guzman and France Castro were released on social media platforms.
“We call on the UST administration to negotiate in good faith and recognize the legitimate demands of its faculty. Sa panahong tumataas ang presyo ng bilihin at pangunahing pangangailangan, hindi makatarungang pigilan ang makatarungang dagdag-sahod para sa mga guro,” said Castro.
[At a time when the prices of goods and basic necessities are rising, it is unjust to withhold the rightful salary increase for teachers.
USTFU President Gonzales announced that the solidarity night will be held every week as the dispute for a meaningful CBA is still ongoing.
