Fiscal Oversight Board blames UPR for delays in HEEND collective bargaining agreement
The Junta de Supervisión Fiscal says it cannot approve the University of Puerto Rico's agreement with its non-teaching employees union because the university and the Office of Management and Budget have not provided required fiscal impact data.
The short version
- El Nuevo Día reports the JSF sent a letter Thursday to UPR President Zayira Jordán Conde blaming the university and OGP for not delivering key information
- NotiCel reports the board is still waiting for OGP's fiscal impact analysis and certification one year after it was requested
- JSF Executive Director Robert Mujica stated the university must provide an updated list of active employees and certification of funds availability requested on Aug. 17 2026
- Both outlets report the proposed classification and compensation plan would raise annual salaries for about 3,375 non-teaching employees by approximately $31 million
JSF holds UPR responsible
The Junta de Supervisión Fiscal (JSF) has reprimanded the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) administration and the Oficina de Gerencia y Presupuesto (OGP) for failing to provide essential information needed to evaluate the collective bargaining agreement with the Hermandad de Empleados Exentos No Docentes (HEEND). El Nuevo Día reported that in a two-page letter sent Thursday and signed by JSF Executive Director Robert Mujica, the board told UPR President Zayira Jordán Conde that both the agreement and the Classification and Compensation Plan depend largely on data from the university.
Mujica wrote that on Aug. 17 2026 the JSF requested an updated list of active employees and a certification of fund availability for the plan, which have not been received. The letter, copied to OGP Executive Director Orlando Rivera Berríos, urges the UPR to coordinate with the OGP "as soon as possible" on the fiscal impact of proposed salary increases that could reach $31 million. NotiCel reported the JSF cannot issue an opinion on whether the agreement complies with the certified fiscal plan until it receives the OGP analysis.
What the sources posted
Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.
Según el propio estimado de la UPR, el Plan de Clasificación aumentaría los salarios anuales de aproximadamente 3,375 empleados no docentes en unos $31 millones, antes de considerar las aportaciones patronales y cualquier pago retroactivo previsto en el Artículo 11.
Our translation: According to the UPR's own estimate, the Classification Plan would increase the annual salaries of approximately 3,375 non-teaching employees by about $31 million, before considering employer contributions and any retroactive payments provided for in Article 11.
The source's own statement, as quoted by El Nuevo Día. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
Ongoing delays and union strike
According to the letter, the JSF had already informed Jordán Conde in March via email that its evaluation was pending the OGP's analysis, which was requested in October 2025. The board also needs to complete its review of the Classification and Compensation Plan, which is tied to the agreement. Mujica noted that Article 11 of the UPR-HEEND contract calls for the plan to be implemented no later than three months after JSF approval, with compensation recognized from the date the plan was submitted. El Nuevo Día reported that the UPR's own estimate puts the annual salary increase at about $31 million for approximately 3,375 non-teaching employees before employer contributions or retroactive payments.
HEEND began a strike on Wednesday after voting in late September, with workers at the 11 UPR campuses demanding implementation of the collective bargaining agreement negotiated three years ago and completion of the classification plan. Jordán Conde had previously told reporters that approval was in the hands of the JSF and that she had sent a letter on Sept. 24 seeking an update on the proposal originally submitted in 2023.
Where the sources differ
Both El Nuevo Día and NotiCel agree on the core facts: the JSF cannot approve the HEEND agreement without OGP's fiscal impact analysis and certification, the UPR has not provided an updated employee list and fund certification requested Aug. 17 2026, the classification plan affects about 3,375 employees at a cost of approximately $31 million, and the letter was sent Thursday by Robert Mujica to Zayira Jordán Conde. El Nuevo Día adds details on the two-page letter, the March email notification, the Sept. 24 letter from Jordán Conde, and the exact wording urging coordination "lo antes posible." NotiCel emphasizes that the OGP has been working on the requirement for a year without delivering and that the cost is a "componente central" of the fiscal impact.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state when the OGP analysis or the requested UPR data might be delivered, whether the JSF has set a new deadline, what the total fiscal impact of the full collective bargaining agreement would be including retroactive pay and benefits, or how the ongoing HEEND strike might affect negotiations or university operations. They also do not indicate the UPR's or OGP's response to the latest letter.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Official Junta Fiscal responsabiliza a la UPR por retrasos en la aprobación del convenio de la Heend
- Reporting Junta Fiscal responsabiliza a la UPR por retrasos en la aprobación del convenio de la Heend
- Reporting La OGP y la UPR le deben información a la Junta sobre el impacto fiscal del convenio de la HEEND
How we checked this
El Nuevo Día and NotiCel both based their coverage on the same JSF letter signed by Robert Mujica. The $31 million figure and the Aug. 17 2026 information request rest on that single document. No statements from the OGP or HEEND were included in either report.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.