Educators at MCAST to Miss Significant Opportunity Due to Incompetence
The Union of Professional Educators has been monitoring the situation at MCAST, as several members of the UPE working on campus have expressed their concerns about the lack of information provided to all staff members.
It appears that the negotiating parties have been slow to act following the expiration of the agreement, back in 2022.
In a letter sent yesterday (7th of May 2024) by the MUT, it was mentioned that MCAST responded for the first time on financial matters on the 19th of April.
The UPE is questioning:
When did the MUT present their initial proposal? (Considering that the collective agreement ended in December 2022).
Within the period specified above, from January 2023 to April 2024, 474 days should have been sufficient to formulate, propose, and discuss the aforementioned financial agreement.
Or was the MUT deliberately delaying to exert pressure on the government during the election period?
If this was the union’s tactic, we and several eductaors at MCAST believe it has failed miserably, as the window of opportunity to secure a favourable agreement or influence the government is rapidly closing, if not already too late.
In the mentioned letter, the MUT also mentioned that it is proceeding with negotiations on the agreement text. In essence, they are potentially negotiating and agreeing on a text without knowing the remuneration involved.
Such a scenario highlights how a lack of leadership and incompetence can lead to a significant loss of money in arrears and career progression for many individuals.
