AFTER EIGHT months of renegotiations, terms for the 2019–2024 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) have been settled between the Ateneo Employees and Workers’ Union (AEWU) and the Ateneo administration with the assistance of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). AEWU also announced the cancellation of their strike preparations.
Based on the latest CBA Bulletin, the Union and administration panels agreed to the following terms: the redefinition of new gross pay; a general increase of Php 2,000 per month for the fourth and fifth years of the CBA; a one-time lump sum payment of Php 15,000 per Union member; as well as enhancements on the vacation, sick, and emergency leave entitlements.
Once approved and ratified, the updated details of the current CBA will be made available for community access through the official CBA website.
For the community
AEWU President Raymond “Mondie” Tano stated the Union did not “settle” on the aforementioned terms because they were merely sufficient. Rather, AEWU also factored in the students and the faculty of the Ateneo community.
“Kung tutuusin, talagang hindi siya (settled terms) sapat doon sa hiningi namin. […] Pero kasi ang sabi ko nga sa kanila, ang iniisip kasi ng pamunuan, hindi naman ‘yung mismong organisasyon, [kundi] ‘yung ibubuti ng karamihan,” Tano said.
(To be honest, (what we agreed on) is not sufficient with what we asked for. […] Although, I told (AEWU members) that the officers are not just thinking of the organization, but also what will benefit the majority (of the Ateneo community.)
When asked about strike plans, Tano explained that AEWU initially chose to strike this specific year because they were under dire circumstances in terms of their salary and the administration’s refusal to comply with their requests.
Aside from accounting for the Ateneo community’s interests, Tano also reasoned that they will not proceed with the walkout, which would entail the need for a strike fund. Instead, strike funds collected from the community will be given back to those who donated to the Union.
He expressed that while the Union is grateful for the Ateneo community’s support, AEWU cannot solely rely on help from the students.
With CBA terms now settled, the University administration expressed, “We thank the Administration and Union panels for negotiating diligently to reach a settlement in the interest of the mission of Ateneo.”
“We also thank the entire community for their continued support and prayers during the negotiation period,” continued the administration in the CBA Bulletin.
A fair future
Tano stated that regardless of their differences, he wholeheartedly believes that the Ateneo administration and the Union should be working together in arms to help others.
Additionally, Tano stated that he hopes in the future that there will be no need for a call to strike—that conditions will become better not just for them, but for the entire Ateneo community.
“Ang dahilan naman kung bakit lang umabot sa ganito dahil [sa kulang ng] transparency. Hindi naman sila nag-labas eh,” Tano stated when asked why AEWU chose to strike.
(The reason why the circumstances (of our strike) reached this extent is because of their lack of transparency. They never released [data].)
He urged for further transparency on the administration’s end moving forward, not just for AEWU’s peace of mind but for the clarity of the community.
In line with this, Tano stated that he has high hopes for the next negotiation regarding the CBA renewal on June 1, 2024 for the 2024-2029 cycle, as he thinks this fight for worker welfare is not just for the Union, but the entire Ateneo community as well.
