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Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Treñas not giving up on San Agustin's labor conflict
By Lory Ann B. Bilbao
ILOILO City Mayor Jerry Treñas said Tuesday he will continue to mediate between the University of San Agustin administration and terminated union officers despite the failure of their negotiation Monday.
Treñas told reporters Tuesday: "We haven't yet found a common ground acceptable to both parties."
"The union members want reinstatement, however, this was unacceptable to the priests," he said.
The mayor said he told both parties to be open to another round of talks.
According to Treñas, a continuing strike by the union, led by its president Theodore Neil Lasola, will send a bad signal to investors and even to the local business sector.
He also noted that the conflict had also affected the students, some of whom personally went to him and asked him to mediate between the two groups.
Lasola said after the dialogue it was not only Vergara who refused to heed their appeal for reinstatement but also several other priests who were present during the meeting.
The union president claimed no negotiation took place because the Augustinian priests' minds were already closed to the possibility of reinstating their services as faculty members.
Lasola added that they will continue their strike and moving picket because they were already "pushed to the wall."
During the meeting, Lasola was joined by his 21 colleagues who were terminated with him last April 5.
The termination order came after the Court of Appeals ruled in March that the union's strike in September 2003 was illegal.
(June 1, 2005 issue)
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