OSTRA-UNION marks its first Labor Day as an independent union, stressing member-led programs, reduced dues, and upcoming wage negotiations.
Labor Day looked different this year for OSTRA-UNION, with the group celebrating its first celebration as an independent union rather than as part of a former labor federation.
In a statement shared by OSTRA-UNION president Vivencio Ybañez Jr., the occasion carried special meaning because the union said it was the one organizing and deciding its own programs, without what it described as outside direction.. He noted that this shift reflects a new chapter in how decisions are made and how activities are run.
For OSTRA-UNION, independence is not just a label. It changes who plans the schedules, who manages internal activities, and how quickly the union says it can respond to member needs.
Ybañez said union officers, from supervisors to rank-and-file members, worked together to put together Labor Day events. He pointed to coordination with management for a planned parade and mass, describing these efforts as part of how the union shows it can manage internal initiatives.
Because of what it calls its independence, OSTRA-UNION said it has already been able to carry out internal changes intended to benefit members. One of the adjustments mentioned is the move to reduce the monthly dues from P400 to P200.
The union also described a financial initiative shaped like a cooperative program that it said was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the United Social Amelioration Program or Project and Program Assistance (Usapa).. According to the union, eligible members can obtain short-term loans at a stated rate of two percent, positioning the program as an alternative source of support.
Despite these benefits, Ybañez acknowledged that the union has not yet increased members’ take-home pay because it has not begun formal negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).. He said OSTRA-UNION is pushing to start discussions in May while raising the call for a wage adjustment amid higher costs tied to oil prices and the broader rise in living expenses.
Meanwhile, Misryoum reported that OSTRA-UNION and the Opascor Workers’ Union (OWU) formally secured independence after their respective registrations in 2026.. The OWU was registered on January 15, while OSTRA-UNION was listed by the Department of Labor and Employment on March 30, marking their full transition into independent labor organizations.
This matters for workers because the labor agenda typically hinges on who has the mandate to negotiate and steer programs.. For unions like OSTRA-UNION, the first Labor Day celebration as an independent group is a signal that day-to-day decisions are increasingly being driven from within the membership itself.
At the end of the celebration, Ybañez said the union is determined to move forward with its priorities, anchored on the changes it has already implemented internally and the negotiations it plans to pursue next.