The dynamics of formulation and implementation of collective bargaining agreements between faculty unions and management in private higher education institutions in Iloilo City

Abstract

The study used a descriptive-normative research design with one-shot survey and content analysis of the existing CBA. Three private higher education institutions in Iloilo City with established faculty union were chosen as the subjects of this study and three groups of respondents were chosen - the university management represented by their human resources director or vice president, faculty union represented by their union president and faculty union members represented by the randomly chosen two hundred seventy (270) faculty union members from a total of nine hundred and five (905) faculty union members. Results show that unionism in the three schools are in their reinforcement stage wherein workers are blanketed into union membership through closed shops. A sole bargaining unit of faculty members is being practiced and a democratic organizational structure is being adopted. Faculty unions in these schools have the same power structure in which the general membership constitutes the supreme authority of the union. They are chiefly concern with the "bread and butter" issues and the well-known problem of membership apathy- the tendency of the union members to leave the decision to union leaders was observed. Insignificant negligible negative association exists between faculty union members level of acceptability of (the perceived collective bargaining model used and the extent of their participation in union activities. The formulation process follows some of the basic principles, stages and rules outlined by the International Labor Organization for successful collective negotiation but failed to address critical stages such as setting of negotiation objectives, defining the criteria in evaluating solutions, addressing disputes arising from agreement and addressing conditions affecting bargaining in good faith such as individual perception and attitude. As such, a lot of problems were encountered during the negotiation process which resulted to deadlocks and in the case of School A, a union strike. Each party perceived that the other party is trying to overpower the other party and each party viewed the other party's proposal is a win-lose situation. Disagreements were mainly due to the differing interpretations of the CBA provisions. The distributive model of collective bargaining was followed which limit the issues to be discussed in the bargaining table. The manner and extent of the implementation of the CBA provisions in the three schools are almost similar adopting a staggered payment of economic benefits and full implementations of the political agreements within specified period of time. Presence of an adversarial posture between labor and management in the formulation and implementation of the CBA provisions was also observed.