The University of Asia and the Pacific said students and parents can expect classes and campus operations to continue even if its faculty and staff unions push through with a strike next week.
In a statement sent to Philstar.com on Wednesday, October 29, the university confirmed that the UA and P Union of Faculty Members (UA and PUFM) and the UA and P Union of Allied Employees (UA and PUAE) submitted their strike vote to the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) on October 24. This will be followed by a seven-day cooling-off period, “which means the earliest possible date for a strike is November 1, 2025.”
The two unions in total are composed of 14 faculty members and 44 administrative staff, the UA and P management said.
‘The University’s priority remains clear: to protect the continuity of learning and the stability and welfare of the UA and P community,’ the statement read. ‘Contingency measures are in place to sustain normal operations and ensure that the academic progress of our students will not be disrupted.’
The university management said UA and P has ‘engaged in good-faith negotiations’ throughout collective bargaining talks and accepted most of the unions’ non-economic proposals, including some with financial impact. It added that the school had made ‘substantial counteroffers within our financial capacity.’
The university said it ‘values the contributions of every member of the community’ and described its compensation and benefits package as ‘fair and equitable.’ The benefits cited include free education for employees’ dependents, continuing education opportunities, comprehensive leave privileges, and reduced teaching loads for faculty.
UA and P said it ‘cannot accept demands that would compromise the university’s financial sustainability or its long-term mission,’ maintaining that its decisions are guided by ‘fairness, prudence, and commitment to quality education.’
This comes nearly a week after the two UA and P unions announced that nearly 90% of their members voted to strike following months of deadlocked negotiations. The unions said management had not presented any new counteroffer during a mediation meeting on October 24, prompting them to file the strike vote report with the NCMB.
Earlier, the unions said UA and P’s last proposal included converting free meals into a P6,600 annual cash allowance and implementing a 1 to 2 percent salary increase spread over three years – an offer they said was inadequate given the rising cost of living. The university, for its part, has maintained that salaries are already above industry standards and that personnel costs consume a large share of its tuition revenue.
In August, management told Philstar.com that personnel expenses already account for 74 percent of UA and P’s tuition income, higher than the 52 percent benchmark it cited from other private universities.
Both faculty and staff unions said the planned strike is a ‘last resort’ after years of stagnant pay and repeated delays in negotiations. The UA and PUFM represents rank-and-file teaching staff, while the UA and PUAE covers administrative and non-teaching employees.
Both unions have yet to announce a specific date for the strike.