A STRONGER ALLIANCE. AEWU President Tobias Tano said that there is now more involvement in union matters among Ateneans, whereas before, help and support were extended only by the faculty and other employees who were not part of the union. Photo by Christie K. Lim

STUDENT POLITICAL party Christian Union for Socialist and Democratic Advancement (Crusada) and the Ateneo de Manila University Employees’ and Workers’ Union (AEWU) renewed their partnership through a memorandum of agreement (MOA) signed by both groups last December 1.

The partnership was formally inked at the union headquarters in the Blue Eagle Gym. The MOA will be valid from its signing until four years and one week later.

This is the second memorandum signed by the two groups, following the first one last July 16, 2011.

Immediate past Crusada Premier Brian Llamanzares said that the main objective of the memorandum and partnership was to create platforms to talk about AEWU’s needs.

Although AEWU has not asked for any definite requests yet, Llamanzares said that Crusada would be prepared to take action anytime. “We’re waiting for them to give us the issues that we can bring to the student body. But once the issue is there, we’ll be ready to discuss it.”

One of last year’s biggest concerns was the scholarship program offered by the school to children of AEWU members.

This was highlighted in the talks held by Crusada and AEWU prior to the signing of the first MOA, wherein union members sought to raise the previously provided 65% tuition scholarship to a full scholarship grant, minus other educational benefits that came with the partial scholarship.

Terms and conditions

A copy of the MOA, which was sent to The GUIDON, further details the responsibilities of the two organizations.

The MOA shall acknowledge the union as its official affiliate in all applicable and appropriate forms and media, while also agreeing to promote the union’s rights, causes and advocacies in all possible means and forms.

Crusada must also provide support and assistance for the union upon the latter’s request, and consult with and advise the union whenever necessary.

On the other hand, AEWU, referred to in the MOA as the union, has its own terms and conditions to adhere to.

Aside from signing the MOA, the union must formalize the partnership by acknowledging Crusada as its official affiliate in all applicable and appropriate forms and media. In addition, the union agrees to endorse Crusada’s projects, activities and programs on which it was consulted.

In relation to that, the union agrees to promote and support Crusada’s projects, activities and programs upon the latter’s request. The union can provide support through attendance and participation, collaboration and administrative support.

Lastly, the union also agrees to provide pertinent notifications to Crusada, including information of any partnership with any other student-led political party.

Both Crusada and AEWU will fulfill the terms and conditions stated in the MOA as long as the action is within the two parties’ capabilities and the bounds of school rules and regulations.

Safeguarding the partnership

Llamanzares explained that they continued their partnership with AEWU because they realized that it should be long-term. “The funny thing is that no one has ever approached the labor union in the 15o years of the Ateneo to ask, ‘Can we partner with you in a long-term thing to try and help you with whatever you need help with?’”

In his speech during the signing ceremonies, AEWU President Tobias Tano also said that the relationship between Crusada officers and the union should be continued.

Llamanzares added that while certain issues such as increasing the scholarship of the laborers’ children and increasing awareness within the student body were already, there are others that cannot be done within a year.

“We realized that we cannot see change for them; we cannot make their situation in Ateneo better within a single year,” he said.

With the longer duration of the new MOA, the aim is to ensure continuity. “We need to make sure that the freshmen that joined this year under Crusada keep that principle with them and keep that partnership with them,” Llamanzares said.

He also said that the first MOA was only a tester that aimed to assess whether or not AEWU still needed assistance from Crusada. In the same event, former Crusada President James Roman promised the union members that the partnership did not take root in ulterior motives.

Furthermore, Llamanzares said that he and other council members realized two things from last year’s partnership: that they must recognize that all of their goals for the union are long-term and that the two groups are one and the same.

“The labor union gives Crusada its meaning. Because how can we call ourselves a Christian, social democratic organization if we do not even provide for the labor union within Ateneo?” he elaborated on their second realization.

“That partnership grounds us in our values, not only as Crusada members, but also as Ateneans.”

Crusada member Louis de Jesus echoed the sentiments. He said that there was no other student political party with a closer relationship with AEWU than Crusada.

“We are honored to preserve Crusada’s long-term commitment to the rights of our workers. The extension of our MOA is an expression of that commitment, along with the knowledge that the fight for worker’s rights is far from over.”

Preparing the MOA

Prior to the renewal of the MOA, Crusada checked up on AEWU at least twice a month to see how they were doing and what they needed. They also presented three drafts of the MOA to AEWU for editing, wherein some technicalities and wording were nuanced. The main principle and stipulations of the contract, however, stayed the same.

Crusada also held monthly People’s Assemblies and council meetings that discussed the creation of the new MOA.

Both Llamanzares and Tano also noted that there were no problems in coming up with the new MOA.

“Wala namang problema. Maayos ang memorandum of agreement—binibigyan ng awtonomiya ang bawat party na gumawa ng sarili nilang desisyon nang hindi pinapakialaman ng kabilang party. (There were no problems. The memorandum of agreement is good—it gives each party the autonomy to make its own decisions without interfering with each other.),” Tano said.

Thoughts and expectations

Tano said that there is now more involvement from Ateneans, whereas before, help and support were extended only by the faculty and other employees who were not part of AEWU.

In his speech during the signing ceremonies, he said in Filipino, “We are glad that you students are now waking up to the reality of being involved with the workers of the Ateneo.”

Llamanzares said that both parties were happy to enter into the partnership last year. At the time, Crusada was on its second year and was still building its identity. “By signing this MOA, we kind of made our principles concrete.”

He has positive expectations for the partnership. “I’m very hopeful that in the coming years… Crusada grows with the labor union, that there is an overwhelming support from the Ateneo community [for] the labor union, for contractual workers, and for the security guards on campus.”