Fall 2024 Newsletter

Greetings

As the crisp autumn air ushers in the fall season, we find ourselves at the start of a new semester—filled with both opportunities and challenges. Fall is a season of change, a time to reflect on what’s passed and to look forward to what lies ahead. Our union, like the leaves that shift color this time of year, is adapting to the changes around us.

One of the most difficult transitions has been the shuttering of Bright Lights, said to have been brought on due to the budgetary shortfalls that the administration hung over our heads this summer. This closure not only affects one of our founding union members directly, but also the broader community we serve. We continue to fight against the impacts brought on by this loss, and as a union, we remain steadfast in our commitment to support every member during this tough time.

But not all change is negative. We are making strides in our efforts to unionize ALL staff at the College: we’re pushing into bargaining season for the Financial Aid and Student Accounts teams, advocating for them to join our contract under the best possible terms. Additionally, we are excited to welcome new members from the Social Justice Collaborative into our union family. The passion and dedication that these groups have shown in their drives to join our union will undoubtedly enrich our efforts as we continue to fight for a fairer and more just workplace. Remember—we will be negotiating for a new contract in 2025!

A special shout-out has to be given to Nancy Howell and the members of our Comm Team. These newsletters would not be possible without them, and wrangling a group of officers to ensure a quality newsletter is put out has to be applauded. Thanks to you Nancy and your team!

As we step into the new season, let’s continue to lean on each other, embrace the changes ahead, and push forward with the solidarity that has always been our greatest asset. If you know of a group on campus interested in joining our union, let any officer/steward know! Together, we will navigate these times and build a stronger, more resilient union for all.

In solidarity,
Your Union Officers, John-Albert, Daniel, Eric, Kim, and Illona

Welcome, New Members

  • Swathi Donthula, Data Visualization Analyst, IT
  • Jared Clarke, Media Technology Specialist, IT
  • Kendra Howard, Administrative Associate to the Dean, Marlboro Institute
  • Ryan Redmond, Administrative Associate to the Chair, Writing, Literature and Publishing
  • Jeff Kiess, IT Support Specialist, IT
  • Sean Mullady, Assistant Director, Academic Advising
  • Adrian Ocon, Desktop Support Specialist, IT
  • Kate Roberts, Associate Director, Program & Student Support, Speech@Emerson
  • John Woja, Project Manager, IT
  • Eamon Toohey, Librarian, Marlboro Institute
  • Charles Rosario, Emerson Prison Initiative Program Coordinator, Emerson Prison Initiative

New Chapter Officers Elected

A new slate of chapter officers was elected in May. John-Albert Moseley returned as chair; Dan Crocker returned as vice chair; and Eric Matthews returned as secretary. Learn more about our new officers, treasurer Kim Costigan and chief steward Illona Yosefov.

Kim Costigan

Kim Costigan lives in her hometown of Winthrop, MA. She joined Emerson College and the SEIU staff union in June 2021, hired as an administrative associate to the Chair in the Department of Writing, Literature and Publishing. She currently works as the program coordinator for the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies and is supervised by a founding member of the Emerson College Staff Union.

When she heard there would be a Staffing Committee formed as part of the last contract, she immediately asked to join it so she could help make the necessary changes to help her fellow administrators, who she knew shared her feelings that AAs were underpaid and overworked. Once a part of the Staffing Committee, she was asked by our union chair to join the Bylaws Committee. She was then nominated to become treasurer of our chapter. She intends on helping to negotiate the best contract we’ve had yet. She hopes to help increase wages, lower healthcare costs, and guarantee hybrid and remote work.

Kim completed the MFA in creative writing program this past May.

Illona Yosefov

Illona Yosefov is an instructional technologist and a filmmaker when she has time for it. In 2016, she voted “yes” to form the Emerson Staff Union, and she describes it as one of the most impactful decisions of her life. Being part of this union, and negotiating with the College for both our first and second contracts, taught her countless lessons in organizing that she is forever grateful for.

She loves bringing people together to stand with one another. It is what gets her out of bed in the morning. In the past year, she’s been working on a documentary about the crisis in early education and the organizing efforts around that. She is a caregiver to children, cats, and plants—and the plants aren’t doing too great.

New Units Join Our Union Family

The union is thrilled to welcome some new departments to our family! Student Accounts and Financial Aid voted to join the union on May 3, and the Social Justice Collaborative voted to join the union on September 19. We are so excited to be welcoming more staff to our union. If you’re interested in organizing additional units, please join us for our weekly action meetings. Ask an officer for the Zoom link.

A Fond Farewell

Estelle Ticktin (CSD) and Maureen Tripp (Iwasaki Library) took the early retirement package that was offered to eligible staff at the end of the summer. A group of members took them out to lunch before they left.

group of union staff sitting at table

Estelle, who is one of our union founders, shared some parting words:

After 11 years as the administrative associate to the chair of Communication Sciences and Disorders, I have taken the early retirement offered by the College. It is with a mixture of relief, excitement, and sadness. This last year has been such a difficult one for everyone here, and I am so saddened by the current atmosphere on campus. The rifts in the community are painful, and we have lost so many great colleagues and institutional knowledge over the last few years. But I am heartened by the dedication of many who are left, who continue to work to better the institution and move it forward.

In my first few years here, I built valuable relationships with my colleagues in CSD, but we were in a silo. It wasn’t until I joined the core group of staff from across the College to form the staff union that I connected with a broader group of talented and amazing people in departments I knew nothing about. That first year of organizing the union was exhilarating, even as we ran into obstacles. And that first contract felt like a miracle. While there are still issues that need to be addressed, as well as new ones we hadn’t anticipated, the power and hard work of this community made some significant changes, and staff are so much better off than they were before the union.

I am proud to have been a part of it, and I am comforted as I take my leave that I have witnessed an injection of energy and dedication from newer staff who will continue to move the work forward. I am excited to start a new chapter in my life, which includes my recent marriage to IT network admin Steve Bohrer—a very unexpected but wonderful extra benefit of working with the union! But even though I’m moving on, I will always feel a connection to the people here whom I have grown to love and respect. You are a remarkable group of people. Union strong!

Estelle and Steve smiling at each other

Committee Updates

Joint Labor Management (JLM)

The JLM Committee last met on September 30. At this meeting, management confirmed that the 360 climate survey results would be released imminently and that another staff forum will be held prior to the end of the semester. The top 10 areas of concern for union staff as it pertains to their work experience that emerged from the Staffing Committee Report were discussed at length. The union committee members told management that they would be happy to assist the Staffing Committee with coming up with solutions if the need arises.

Staffing

The Staffing Committee report has been finalized and was shared with all union staff and management who were interviewed on October 3. Thanks to the Staffing Committee members for all of the time and energy spent on this inaugural report. The report is just one part of an effort to encourage management to address the ongoing staffing issues that continue to impact union and nonunion staff. The report shows problems that we have asked management to address in the past, including staff being overworked due to ongoing staff shortages, slow hiring and onboarding, and high turnover, among other issues. If you would like to share feedback on the report, fill out this feedback form.

Bylaws

A town hall was held on October 3 to address any final concerns and suggestions for our chapter’s bylaws. Members were invited to vote on adopting the bylaws that same day, and they overwhelmingly agreed to adopt the bylaws. The bylaws will be added to the union website and Slack for easy access. We will have a general membership meeting in the coming months, so if anyone has concerns about them we can address them then. Thanks to Sami Ahmad, Kim Costigan, and Nancy Howell for completing this important initiative for the union.

Call for Committee Representatives

We have openings on two committees: Joint Labor Management and Staffing. Please email emersonorganizing@gmail.com to express your interest in joining. If you’re new to the union, please consider volunteering. It’s important to have new perspectives in our leadership! Here’s a little information on both:

Joint Labor Management: This committee of 5 union members meets regularly with management representatives with the goal of addressing ongoing issues between contract negotiations.

Staffing: This committee is made up of 5 union members and 5 managers, and we meet monthly to work on an annual Staffing Report as well as address issues of vacancies.

Help Bring Bright Lights Back!

Our union has filed a grievance against the termination of our member Anna Feder. We are also mobilizing our community to let the administration know how important the Bright Lights Cinema Series is to us. Check out our socials! We have many photos of faculty who are standing in support of Bright Lights. Students are mobilizing in support too! As a union, we’re asking our members to step up in solidarity and take similar photos of themselves holding a sign that says “Bring Back Bright Lights!”

If you haven’t already, please take a picture of yourself with the sign, and send it to our Chief Steward, Illona or your department steward. You can take a selfie with a simple sign you make at home or take a group picture with a sign on campus. Reach out to Illona for details.

Anna has worked tirelessly for 12.5 years to build the series from the ground up. She brought countless filmmakers to Emerson. She is also a founding member of our union who stepped up in support of members in need. If we cannot reverse this decision, this will be a tremendous loss to our community! Anna was also the only film exhibition expert, who has generously leveraged her contacts and experience to advise students, faculty, and staff in finding audiences for their films. Both the series and Anna were invaluable to a school with such a large film program, and we want them back!

We were heartened to see such enthused support for the series from faculty. Let’s show the admin how we as a union stand together!

New Member Profile

Swathi Donthula
Swathi Donthula

Data Visualization Analyst, IT

What are your favorite fall activities?
Apple picking, enjoying scenic fall drives, and shopping for Halloween costumes for my kids.

Where did you work prior to Emerson?
Commonwealth Care Alliance.

Have you been a union member before?
No.

Why are you glad that you’re in a union?
I feel more secure being part of a union. Unions create a platform for members to unite, address shared concerns, and advocate for their rights.

Union Statement Regarding Campus Events

April 30, 2024 The Emerson Staff Union-Local 888 SEIU joins our campus in expressing grief, mourning, disappointment, and pain resulting from the egregious and violent response by police to our students, staff, and faculty on April 25, 2024. Emerson students protesting for justice in Palestine have been arrested twice in as many months for nonviolent […]

Non-union Staff to See 5% Raise Going into New Year

By Adri Pray, Content Managing Editor / “College officials pledged a cumulative 5% base salary increase effective Jan. 1, 2023 for non-union staff members in an email sent to eligible employees hours before the college entered its first mediation session with the staff union on Thursday night.”

Emerson Staff Union Demonstration Demands Cost-of-Living Adjustment, Equitable Conditions

By Adri Pray and Hannah Nguyen / “Conversation about the staff union buzzed Thursday morning as faculty members entered the Bobbi Brown and Steven Plofker Gym for the 2022 Faculty Institute. Many people donned “I support the Emerson staff union” stickers on their shirts or read fliers outlining where the staff union is stuck in […]