UP Faculty and REPS Demand Union Representation in the University's Academic Personnel Fellowship Committe

UP Faculty and REPS Demand Union Representation in the Academic Personnel Fellowship Committe (APFC) of the University

The Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA) between the UP Administration and the All UP Academic Employees Union formally began on July 10, 2007 with the signing of the ground rules for the negotiations. Additional academic and health benefits and privileges for the REPS and faculty were given top priority. The negotiation was originally scheduled to last for only four months. But up to this day, more than a year later, no final agreement has been reached. The last negotiation was held on May 26, 2008.

Many agreements have already been reached including additional three-day leave, union recognition and union time. Although we have already gained additional benefits and privileges, we still aim for representation in various committees existing in UP which deal directly or indirectly with the terms and conditions of our employment in the University.

Although the UP Panel agreed to representation on various committees, it refuses to grant us representation in the Academic Personnel Fellowship Committee (APFC). We have agreed to give up union representation in the Fiscal Policies and Operations Committee (FPOC) of the University so long as we shall have representation in the APFC. The APFC is very important to us because discussions and recommendations involving hiring, renewal, tenure and promotions, and budget appropriation for fellowships are covered by this committee. These are vital concerns to the union as its mandate is to advance the terms and conditions of work of the academic rank-and-file.

The academic union never anticipated the refusal for a representation in this committee. The All UP Workers Union gained the same representation in their Administrative Personnel Fellowship Committee (AdPFC) in the 2002 CNA without any opposition at all from the administration of then President Nemenzo. We were surprised by the refusal of the panel of President Roman to grant such representation in the first CNA for UPвs academic personnel given that this is an essential step towards democratizing governance in UP.

We have time and again presented to the UP Administration our arguments for such representation, the last one being a formal letter (June 11, 2008) to President Roman. In that same letter, we have requested President Roman to explain in writing the reason/s why her administration refuses to grant us representation in the APFC. To this date they have yet to respond. We reiterate that we cannot comprehend the continued refusal of UP to grant us representation in the APFC.

We continue to assert that the recognition of our union as the sole and exclusive representative of the rank-and-file faculty and REPS of UP includes representation in the APFC.

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Panawagan ng UP Faculty at REPS para sa Representasyon ng All UP Academic Employees Union sa Academic Personnel Fellowship Committee (APFC) ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas

Pormal na nagsimula ang Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA) sa pagitan ng UP Administration at ng All UP Academic Employees Union noong Hulyo 10, 2007 nang lagdaan ang ground rules para sa CNA. Binigyang prayoridad ang karagdagang pang-akademiko at pangkalusugang benepisyo at pribilehiyo para sa mga REPS at kaguruan. Sa orihinal na plano, apat na buwan lamang ang tinarget na panahon upang matapos ang CNA. Ngunit magpahanggang ngayon, makalipas ang mahigit isang taon, wala pa ring naaabot na pinal na kasunduan. Ginanap ang huling negosasyon noong Mayo 26, 2008.

Masasabing marami nang napagkasunduan sa CNA tulad ng karagdagang three-day leave, union recognition at union time. Naipanalo na natin ang mga karagdagang benepisyo at pribilehiyong ito, ngunit mahalaga na mabigyang representasyon ang ating unyon sa samuвt saring komite sa loob ng UP na direkta o hindi direktang humahawak sa kondisyon ng pag-eempleyo sa unibersidad.

Bagamat sumang-ayon ang UP Panel na mabiyang representasyon ang unyon sa ibaвt ibang komite, tinututulan nito ang kahilingang makaupo ang unyon sa Academic Personnel Felowship Committee (APFC). Sa katunayan, pumayag na tayong hindi na umupo sa Fiscal Policies and Operations Committee (FPOC) ng Unibersidad bastaвt masisigurong may representasyon ang unyon sa APFC. Batid nating napaka-importante ng APFC sapagkat ang mga talakayan at rekomendasyon kaugnay ng hiring, renewal, tenure at promosyon, at budget appropriation para sa fellowship ay saklaw ng komiteng ito. At dahil ang mandato ng ating unyon ay pangalagaan ang kondisyon ng paggawa ng mga rank-and-file, mahalagapang mabiyang representasyon tayo sa APFC.

Hindi inaakala ng academic union na tututulan ng UP Panel ang ating hinihinging representasyon sa APFC. Ang hinihingi nating representasyon sa APFC ay naibigay na sa workers union noong 2002 CNA sa kanilang Administrative Personnel Fellowship Committee (AdPFC), nang walang anumang oposisyon mula sa administrasyon ni dating Pangulong Nemenzo. Kung kaya nakagugulat ang pagtanggi ng UP Panel ni Pangulong Roman sa ating kahilingang representasyon sa APFC, lalunaвt esensyal na hakbang ito patungo sa demokratisasyon ng pamamahala sa UP.

Paulit-ulit na nating ipinipresenta sa UP Administration ang ating mga argumento para sa makatarungang representasyon sa APFC, ang huli ngaвy pormal na liham kay Pangulong Roman noong Hulyo 11, 2008. Sa parehong liham ay hiniling natin kay Pangulong Roman na ipaliwanag niya sa isang pormal na liham ng pagtugon, ang mga dahilan ng kaniyang administrasyon sa patuloy na pagtutol sa hinihingi nating representasyon sa APFC. Ngunit wala pa ring tugon magpahanggang ngayon ang kaniyang administrasyon. Hindi natin maunawaan kung bakit patuloy na ipinagkakait ng UP sa ating unyon ang representasyon sa APFC.

Patuloy nating iginigiit na kasama sa akreditasyon at pagkilala sa All UP Academic Employees Union bilang unyon ng rank-and-file na kaguruan at REPS ang representasyon sa APFC.