Faculty Strike in FEU

“This is history in the making as FEU Faculty Association / Union will have its first major protest rally against the abuse in capitalism to the affected front liners (FEU educators) of educational institution such as the Far Eastern University.” -Prof. Joey Ting

Hundreds of FEU regular faculty members will have a series of massive assemblies starting Monday, March 15, 2010 as early as eight o’clock (8:00 a.m.) in the morning. This is due to the labor dispute that has started after the pronouncement of filing the notice of strike last February 5, 2010 at the Department of Labor and Employment of the Far Eastern University Faculty Association or otherwise known as FEUFA.

Faculty President Professor Joey Ting, also the Assistant Secretary for the National Commission for Culture and the Arts Cinema Executive Council, reiterates the long overdue economic benefits of the teaching employees in the university. As a union leader, he emphasizes the four priority lists as economic provisions in the Collective Bargaining Agreement between management and the association which resulted to two deadlocks. These are 1) security of tenure through academic load / pay; 2) across the board salary increase; 3) rice benefit; and 4) medicine benefit.

FEUFA reveals the top stockholders of the FEU system that include Seyrel Investment and Realty Corporation (owner in the name of Aurelio Montinola, President of the current Bank of the Philippine Island system) having 28.6267% share, also the first on its rank. This is followed in by a Henry Sy and Family property, Sysmart Corporation with 21.1740% share and ranks the second in stocks. Other top major stockholders are Desrey Corporation, Angelina Palanca and Sr. Victorina Palanca. Furthermore, FEU-NRMF President Josephine Cojuangco-Reyes, sister of the late Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino and aunt of the running Presidential candidate Senator Noynoy Cojuangco-Aquino previously enjoys its share of stocks and recently approved of the FEU-NRMF CBA between the union and the management after it went to a deadlock last year, 2009.

The university, for last year, prioritized 1) Repairs and Maintenance, Buildings and Equipment with increased of 190% from the previous year; and 2) Charitable contribution increased up to 251%. While on one hand, the opening of FEU Silang, Cavite and FEU Makati are on its way up to produce more income and profit shared among the major stockholders.
FEU President Lydia B. Echauz, also a former Dean in De La Salle University Graduate Studies and a former partner of SM Primeholdings Corporation owned by Henry Sy, slowly eradicated faculty benefits such as the Extra Teaching Service (ETS) of 6-9 units, Teaching Excellence Award which amounts equal to twelve thousand pesos (php12,000) per academic year and Perfect Attendance Award amounting to two thousand five hundred pesos per semester.

This is the main reason why FEUFA extremely pushes for the basic economic benefits during the negotiation. However, FEU Chief Financial Officer Fe V. Canilao together with CBA Management Panel Chair Miguel Carpio, HRD Assistant Vice President Melinda Macaraig, FEU Comptroller Glenn Nagal, HRD Manager Joselito Nicer announced the turning down of the university executive board of such benefits headed by FEU Chair of the Board of Trustees Dr. Lourdes Reyes Montinola.

The FEU Faculty Association is in strong faith that the CBA will be heard finally through the major support of tripartite broadcasting and publishing companies (radio, television and print), national organizations promoting educational rights such as Alliance for Concerned Teachers (ACT), All UP Worker’s Union, Defend Job Philippines and ANAKBAYAN and by other university faculty unions like University of Santo Tomas, University of the East, Centro Escolar University, Adamson University, University of the Philippines and Ateneo De Manila University.

UPDATE as of March 11, 2010: The Faculty Strike in FEU was postponed.