Our news team attended, and Daniel Ortiz has that story:

The UB Faculty and Staff Union, and the university employees they represent say that for weeks, they have been asking to be included in the decision-making process for whatever COVID austerity measures may be needed to survive the pandemic.

They say they have been patient and understanding, but claim that UB President Clement Sankat continues to ignore them.

Now, they are choosing to go public as a last resort.

Dr. Pio Saqui - President, UBFSU
"The University of Belize Faculty and Staff Union is made up of very intelligent, educated people. We believe in due process, and we are asking in every single communication to the President, in every diplomatic, we have asked him, please engaged the union. He cannot [inaudible] in any way today. Not even the Board of Directors can say, we didn't know."

"If we will be asked to take pay cuts, increased teaching loads, frozen increments, and the like, then we need to know that these sacrifices will be meaningful, that they will be equitable, and that options - beyond of the notion of retrenchment - such as income generation, short-term loans, reduced line-item expenditures, have all been fully considered. To do that, we must be able to see the financials of the university."

For these faculty and staff, the need for honest and open dialog is especially important, since the Board has reportedly declared that the University is in a state of Financial Exigency. These insiders say that the financial crisis facing the UB is so extreme, that the Senior Administration is attempting to implement a localized equivalent to the National State of Emergency that Belizeans lived through over the past 3 months.

Christoper De Shield, Ph.D. - General Secretary, UBSFU
"On June 11th, the President, Sankat, convened a meeting, an online zoom session, where he shared some figures to the whole UB community, and he indicated that UB was [in] a shortfall of some 7.1 million dollars, after adding up all the predicted financial losses. The essence of the message was that the university will have to take some drastic measures and that all options were on the table."

Dr. Pio Saqui
"What the Financial Exigency is saying it's giving the UB Administration authority to make decisions, and can make changes that would not be otherwise done in the regular time. Essentially, we are creating our own State of Emergency within the university. We have to be part and parcel of that."

The Union is insisting that the Board of Trustees and the President are attempting the bypass proper process to declare a Financial Exigency, which is clearly outlined in the UB Faculty and Staff Handbook. The Union President read out all of the 11 steps that the handbook mandates for this procedure, which includes several layers of consultation and dialog with all the stakeholders at the university, including the faculty and staff.

They alleged that the Administration engaged in a half-baked consultation attempt, instead.

Christoper De Shield, Ph.D. - General Secretary, UBSFU
"A survey tool, that was alluded to by Dr. Saqui, was shared to poll the opinion of the entire faculty and staff, to guide the adjustments that would be proposed. The survey was sent to each employee, without information regarding the current financial records of the university. And Dr. Saqui highlighted that there were some issues with the way that the survey questions - the individual questions were constructed. There were a whole [lotta] stuff and issues, the whole inscrutability of the process."

"It seemed as if we were being asked to vote on our own termination in this process. And we had no idea - there was no assurance that any sacrifices would be made at the top, where it would seem that most sacrifices would have to be made."

So now, the union, in its first public act on behalf of its members, is taking a hardline with the University's Senior Administration.

Dr. Pio Saqui
"If the Board of Trustees and administration does not recognize the University of Belize's Faculty and Staff (Union) as the sole bargaining agent for the faculty and staff of the University of Belize by Monday at 11 a.m., and begin to determine a way forward, then we take this opportunity to duly inform the senior administration and the Board of Trustees, as mandated by our membership, that industrial action is imminent. The ball is now in the court of the UB administration."

"We have extended an olive branch for as long as we could, and our hands are tired. So, the olive branch will fall. And I think 11 o'clock to get that message from the Board or the President, recognizing the union is not unreasonable."

Another element of this dispute is what the union is treating as a calculated attempt at silencing of the faculty and staff representative on the UB Board of Trustees.

She's Dr. June Young, and earlier this week, she was informed that as far as the Ministry of Education is concerned, her term as a member of the board ended back in February. So, there is uncertainty about whether or not she can participate in board meetings to act on behalf of the faculty and staff. As far as Dr. Young and union is concerned, she is duly appointed and has the support of the faculty and staff members. But, because this matter is being raised at this time, the union is interpreting it as another attempt to lock them out of the decision making process.

And then, there is a pending matter about the union's full certification. From their perspective, they have met all the requirements to be recognized as a trade union, but the Ministry of Labour hasn't gotten around to giving them the final stamp of approval. Here's how the union executive explained it today:

The Board has rescheduled an important meeting for next week Friday. It is believed that this is when the President will present his proposals for cutting costs. The Union is hoping that the President of the Board will allow them to enter the conversation before that. As you heard, they are demanding to be recognized and heard by Monday. We'll tell you if the union decides to take industrial action next week.