Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed on August 12 by the HAU Teachers and Employees’ Union (HAUTEU) and the HAU administration, dependents of regular employees who are academic scholars and rank in the top 1% of their year level are entitled to a P2,500 book allowance each semester.

This approval was a compromise from HAUTEU’s original proposal, which sought to allow single employees without a legal spouse or children to designate one relative or protégé as a dependent eligible for the same 100% tuition fee discount granted to employees with children. HAUTEU also proposed, though unsuccessfully, that dependents receive a 10% discount on laboratory and energy fees.

Describing the approval as a “win,” HAUTEU President Dr. Elvira David noted that these provisions had been included in every CBA proposal since she became a union officer in 2012.

“Isa ‘yan sa mga cino-copy paste ko every CBA, hindi ma-expand, pero ma-equalize dahil nga ‘yung iba, ‘yung mga single employees, hindi na sila nagbe-benefit doon dahil wala naman silang anak na pinapaaral,” she said.

She added, “Or ‘yung mga nagpapa-aral ng anak nila na scholar ‘yung anak nila, so parang hindi man nila na-avail ‘yung educational benefit. So, sana, on top of that, bigyan niyo rin sila kasi nga academic scholar na.”

Among the provisions included in the 2025–2028 CBA is the appointment of the Labor Management Council (LMC) under Article II, Section 10, as the monitoring body for the implementation of its provisions.

To add, Article IV introduces a grievance system with representatives from the College Department, Basic Education Department (BED), and non-teaching personnel.

Furthermore, under Article VI, Section 1, it was agreed that faculty members shall neither be assigned nor permitted to volunteer to teach subjects outside their specialization or area of competence.

Under Article VIII, HAUTEU proposed a uniform allowance of P8,000 for 2025–2026, with an annual increase of P500 until it reached P9,000 by 2027–2028. The HAU administration, however, approved only a fixed P8,000 allowance through 2028.

The same article also grants service awards: P600 per year for employees with 10 years of service, multiplied by the years rendered, and P800 per year for those with 15 years or more.

Employees with advisory classes will now receive a monthly honorarium of P750. In addition, regular employees will be given a rice subsidy of P800 during their first four years of service, while those in their fifth year and above will receive P1,000.

Under Article IX on leave benefits, faculty are now entitled to personal or professional leave. College faculty may avail this once per semester, while BED teachers may do so once every two quarters. Personal leave covers “any personal matter,” while professional leave applies to activities such as license renewal, board examinations, and similar purposes. The CBA also provides for a study leave, allowing junior high school faculty a deloading of three teaching loads for the entire school year.

A signing bonus of P35,000 was also granted to HAUTEU members, which Dr. David said the HAU administration “did not want” to put in writing.

“Ayaw ng management na nakasulat siya sa CBA, so ang hirap na pataasin pa siya. Ang totoo po niyan, ang signing bonus talaga, hindi talaga natin siya nine-negotiate, kasi ang signing bonus, weapon ng management ‘yan eh. In fact, noong una kaming umupo, ibibigay lang nila ang signing bonus kung hindi na magne-negotiate,” she told the HAUTEU members during the assembly.

However, she noted, “Bilang union po, karapatan natin na pakinggan nila tayo — na mag-negotiate tayo. Kaya sabi ko, parang bad faith ‘yun na ibibigay niyo lang ang signing bonus kung hindi tayo uupo. Kailangan, uupo tayo at mag-uusap tayo.”

With the next negotiations set for 2028, the HAUTEU president told The Angelite that they “always hope for improvement” and have already “manifested” their priorities to the administration — requests that were not granted in the latest CBA, including an “improved” medical benefits for employees.

HAUTEU members officially ratified the agreement on August 15 during their general meeting at the PGN Auditorium, where they also approved two resolutions presented by the HAUTEU Board of Directors: one endorsing subscription to the Labor Assistance Welfare and Services (LAWS), and another granting a P500 honorarium to Board members for attending each regular meeting.