Members of the UST Faculty Union are expected to receive better hospitalization and medical benefits, as settled during the last day of the talks between the UST Faculty Union (USTFU) and the Department of Labor and Employment’s National Conciliation Board (DOLE-NCMB).

The UST management agreed that teachers and support staff will be given a 100% hospitalization and medical benefit in the UST Hospital, a major jump from the proposed P100,000 maximum benefit before. They will be adding a one-time P10 million non-TFI fund to the benefit on top of the USTFU’s initial fund of P79.3 million.

According to a press conference on May 23, educators are given up to a P10 million threshold to avail the full benefit, however, there will be a limit if they avail the fund beyond the allotted threshold.

• More than P10 - P15 million - P750,000
• P15 - P21 million - P500,000
• More than P21 million - fixed rate of P150,000 for regular illnesses and P350,000 for critical care

The USTFU and the management will be writing the implementing rules and regulations of the benefit during the renegotiations next week. There will be a two-year trial to see if the program will be effective and future-proof.

Urgent and life-preserving procedures are covered in the benefit, but elective procedures that are not critical will not be covered by the benefit.

Pope Francis' legacy became the inspiration for the union to name the fund in honor of the late pope’s value for the working class.

“Pope Francis has long recognized the modest wages of Vatican workers but prioritized expanding medical and pension benefits,” the USTFU President Emerito Gonzales said during a general assembly on May 15.

However, the management will be consulting Rector Fr. Richard Ang and the university’s board of trustees for the approval of the name.

The faculty union said they used the hospitalization costs of 800 employees from 2020 to 2023 as a basis for the proposed benefit.

TFI shares and other benefits

Apart from the medical benefit, the P220 unreleased tuition fee increase shares will be given to educators after the A.Y. 2021-2026 collective bargaining agreement is ratified.

The management released 78% or P21.8 million out of P27.8 TFI share during the A.Y. 2020-2021 on May 20. Among the shares that were also expected to be released are the following:

• A.Y. 2021-2022: P51.45 million
• A.Y. 2022-2023: P64.22 million
• A.Y. 2023-2024: P104.68 million

The UST management also agreed to give the following bonuses to the academic personnel:

• Goodwill Bonus - P15,000 for full-time and P7,500 for part-time employees
• One-time Technology Support - P8,000 for full-time and P4,000 for part-time employees
• Wellness package - P7,500

Senior high school salary restructuring fund

The senior high school department will be receiving a P10.5 million salary restructuring fund, from the A.Y. 2023-2024 TFI share, starting in August of the next academic year.

“Kung management provision man ‘yan or galing sa TFI share ay P10.5 million pa’rin ang pinaglalaban naming fund,” the UST Faculty Association of Senior High School president Emerson Hernandez sait to TomasinoWeb.

The discussion of the salary restructuring was set aside to prioritize the proposal of full hospitalization and medical benefits, but will be immediately released after the CBA talks have been finished at the plant level.

USTFU declared a deadlock in the year-long CBA negotiations last March 2025 and met with the NCMB officials for weeks after they filed a notice of strike on March 25.

“Declaring the deadlock, filing a notice of strike, and entering conciliation-mediation were all lawful and moral means in pursuit of fairness,” the USTFU said in a press conference on May 23.

The management and USTFU will schedule a review of the proposals in the CBA renegotiations for A.Y. 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 before the start of A.Y. 2025-2026.

"[It] is a long-overdue and deeply significant step toward building a more humane, compassionate, and dignified workplace for all," USTFU added.