Student Union Solidarity

Email #1 – Emergency Strike meeting this evening.

From: Eric Telfort

Date: April 10th, 2023

Title: Emergency Strike meeting this evening.

Dear RISD Illustration community,


I hope this email finds you well in hopeful spirits as we return to an academic environment that is unsettling, to say the least, and requires urgent attention. I'll get straight to the point. In the wake of the union strike currently taking place on campus, and the "Teachers support your students" flyers that have been circulated to faculty on the first floor, I would like to invite the Illustration community to a Zoom forum this evening to hear your thoughts, and proposed strategies for supporting our hard working custodial staff. I would like to collect your thoughts and perspectives on the current situation, and provide further context on the impact it's having on your academic experience.


I will open the Zoom meeting at 8:30pm, which should allow you time to support the senior show taking place this evening. If you'd like to listen to others express their thoughts while working in a studio or your dorm room, you are welcome to. My goal is to ultimately work with you all on a way to support our campus community, while not negatively impacting your academic experience.


See you soon.


Respectfully,


[omitted zoom meeting information]


--

Eric Telfort

He/Him/His

Department Head/Associate Professor

Department of Illustration

Rhode Island School of Design

2 College Street Providence, RI 02903

office (401) 277-4988

follow: @etelfort

            @erictelfort

Email #2 – ILLUSTRATION STUDENT MEETING

From: Eujean Cha

Date: April 11th, 2023

Title: ILLUSTRATION STUDENT MEETING


Dear Illustration community,

We representatives, like all of you, have been frustrated with how illustration has been interacting with the ongoing strike. We are the biggest major. We are right across the street from the picket line, and some of the most vocal voices advocating for our valued staff have been coming from members of this community.

From our zoom meeting on Monday, Eric has gathered that we as a department want a statement issued and would like to have a conversation with Crystal Williams.

There is only so much we can weigh in on department matters as we are only students without the necessary credentials to hold significant space. However, we want to address the student body’s concerns to the best of our ability.

The representatives are attempting to move forward. We are trying to represent our interests, but we’re currently a little lost as to what the best next steps are. Thus, we would like to host an illustration student body meeting so that we can discuss how everyone thinks we should move forward with the strike ( i.e. see what concrete things we want to ask our faculty to do and how we as students should organize to support the teamsters).

Once again, we are calling this meeting to discuss solutions with the express purpose of drafting a document that will make clear what we want to do. This doc will be sent to the illustration faculty.

However, if you are not comfortable with attending this meeting or have opinions that you are not comfortable sharing in this format, we are also attaching this form so that you can anonymously share your opinion. The more opinions we have the better argument we can make.

Share with your illustration friends, and let's try to get as many people’s voices heard as possible.



Thanks,


Department Reps

Email #3 – [Urgent] Collective Union Support for Strike 

From: Eric Telfort

Date: April 12th, 2023

Title: [Urgent] Collective Union Support for Strike


Dear Illustration community,

I hope you are safe during a turbulent and trying time on campus. In light of the ongoing strike, and to demonstrate campus wide solidarity to the administration, the Full Time Faculty Association will gather in support and celebration of our striking coworkers at Prov-Wash from 11:00am-2:00pm. I am calling on Illustration faculty to support our fellow coworkers during that period. The length and degree of participation during that period is at the discretion of each faculty per class schedule and should be clearly communicated to students.

Faculty who observe students who choose to participate in the strike without prior consultation should refer to attendance guidelines articulated in their syllabus.

A statement regarding Illustration's position on the strike will be shared via communication channels this afternoon.

Respectfully,

Eric T.


____

[ Madison Tom’s Email Response ]

Hi Eric--

Thank you for telling us this, and for your intent to release a statement later this afternoon. Going forward, it would be much appreciated to hear news of these events earlier, and for you to be transparent as a department head. Most of the information myself and my classmates have received regarding the strike, most recently the faculty strike occurring in less than an hour, has been given to us by individual professors. We should not have to rely on the goodwill of individual faculty members to disclose information, and it should be well within your ability as a department head to issue frequent updates as they happen so everyone in Illustration can be rightfully informed.

May I remind you that we are the largest major on campus-- nevermind the fact that we are directly across from the picket line. While I am not sure of your personal stance on the strike, the fact remains that we are a large collective of students, and you have immense power to stand in solidarity with the striking workers. When a multitude of other majors have released statements and we are the ones lagging behind, then I start to see a problem.

I also urge you to be more lenient towards attendance policies in light of the strike. Other majors, such as Painting, have cancelled classes for the week in solidarity, and others have urged against even entering the building (Architecture). If attendance is still a large issue for you, perhaps formulating a plan akin to other majors at RISD would be beneficial, taking into account the needs of students. Many professors have moved classes to Zoom, which I believe is a great workaround to entering the ISB. RISD has altered its attendance policies before (most recently due to COVID), so it is not undoable.

Lastly, before the statement goes out this afternoon, remember that there are innumerable injustices in this world, and even on this campus. Your voice as the head of Illustration carries power, and I urge you to make the right choice. Please remember that at times we have to set aside our personal loyalties (wherever those may lie) in order to take care of those who take care of us.

Best,
Madison


____

Instagram Post #1 – Email to the community from Eric Telfort, Illustration Department Head

IG @risdillustration

Date: April 12th 2023


Content:


To: The RISD Community

From: Eric Telfort, Illustration Department Head


I’m writing today in an attempt to give voice to community sentiment here in the Illustration Department on the subject of the current labor action by the Teamsters local 251, representing the custodians, grounds crew and moving staff here at RISD. The action, which is highly visible and audible from the Illustration Studies Building, is having a profound effect on our students, faculty, and the educational program in our department.


Based on recent conversations with students and faculty, I can say that our department is firmly in support of the demands of the strikers for a fair living wage and are eager for the negotiations between the school and the union to resume as soon as possible, with an urgent priority for resolving the matter at hand.


Beyond this, I have growing concern that the atmosphere of respect, trust and civility, which we have all worked so hard to achieve in the department and in the school as a whole, is becoming frayed. Here in Illustration, I feel it is essential that we move beyond the current circumstance of the strike and get to work restoring the mutual understanding and appreciation that has allowed us to function so effectively as RISD’s largest department.


The students have expressed great interest in hearing directly from the administration in order to understand RISD’s side of the story in this matter; to date, most of their information has come from the strikers. They are calling for an open exchange for information on RISD’s finances and expenditure of resources, and how the wage scale for RISD’s workers fits into that equation. They also want reassurance that there will be no institutional retribution for their support of the striking workers.


Our faculty has made it clear to me that the current situation, both the disruptive presence of the strikers and the emotional quandary of many of the students, is having a serious impact on their ability to carry out their educational mission. Many have made accommodations to student uneasiness, or their own qualms about crossing the picket line, by having class remotely or out-of-doors. In other instances, however, remote learning is not really a good option, and these teachers find themselves in an increasingly uncomfortable position.


However, the faculty remains fully committed to providing the education that we have promised to deliver to the students, and there is certainly no inclination on the faculty’s part to suspend, compromise or negatively modify course structure or content. While some have shown flexibility in attendance requirements for students who want to join the strikers, we have made it clear that students are still responsible for attending class and delivering assigned coursework.


We are eager to return to the atmosphere of hope and shared mission that has attended our emergence from the challenges of the Covid epidemic. There are so many exciting things we can do together, and we are looking forward, with an increasing sense of urgency, to returning to that work.

Email #4  – [Urgent] Emergency Faculty staff and student meeting tonight 8pm

From: Eric Telfort

Date: April 13th 2023

Title: [Urgent] Emergency Faculty staff and student meeting tonight 8pm



Hell RISD Illustration community,


I am calling for an emergency community meeting at 8pm to discuss the strike, an impending resolution, and the remainder of the semester. After witnessing the emotional toll the last two days have had on our community, it is critical we meet with each other as a community to hear student and faculty attitudes towards the current situation, and discuss how we're going to get through the last 5 weeks of the semester. Please attend. I apologize for the inconvenience and suddenness of this email, and feel strongly that we need to meet this evening to hear from students and faculty.


8pm

Email #5 – Information about Student-Led Collaborative Banner Effort for Walk-Out Tomorrow

From: Lio Chan

Date: April 13th, 2023

Title: Information about Student-Led Collaborative Banner Effort for Walk-Out Tomorrow


Hi Illustration Students,




It's Lio, one of your department reps! Everything this week has been moving at a very fast pace, and I'm sorry about the lateness of this email, but I hope this email finds you well. As you may or may not know, the walkout tomorrow will officially start at 1pm (1:30pm for freshmen), and as mentioned during our student-led Zoom meeting held this past week, us dep reps are leading an effort to create a collaborative banner that will be posted in front of the ISB during the walkout. To reiterate, the purpose of this banner is to demonstrate firm student body support for the strike, the wellbeing of our custodial staff, and everything in-between, and to demonstrate our voices loud and clear during the walkout. While we are restricted in representing the entire department in this endeavor, we can definitely send a clear message that this is what the student body unequivocally stands for, and Eric and Rachael have joined us in support of the creation of this student-made banner.




Starting from 10am tomorrow, I will be stationed in front of the ISB at the benches near the canal with some duck canvas and scrap fabric (courtesy of Ayça, shoutout to them!) and some markers, and I may be joined by some of my fellow dep reps as well. I strongly encourage all Illustration students who want to fight for our staff to show up at least for a little while to take the time to sign your name on the banner in support of our message and the cause. Of course, if you are uncomfortable with signing your name, you can also draw something, make a handprint, or even write a message of encouragement and union positivity. Let's get our voices, concerns, and support as a community out there!




If you have scrap pieces of canvas, fabric, anything in between that we can tie onto the banner, markers or paint, or any art supplies that can be used to write on these materials, please bring them to the benches! As just one person I have a very limited amount of supplies, and everything that is able to be shared is greatly appreciated. Of course, if you are unable to make it between 10am and when the walkout starts at around 1, feel free to come and sign it with your own supplies or any supplies that may still be there during the course of the walkout. Even if non-Illustration students or others misunderstand and sign it, I do not believe it matters that much as our message still stays the same. As the social media manager, I hope to also get some good pictures of the making of this event and the banner itself to post as a new Instagram post that voices the student body's firm support of the strike as a statement that is separate from Eric's email.




If you have any questions or concerns about this event, please let me know! Let's bring our community together to support an important cause and get our voices out there to our broader community. A few important rules/notes about the walkout for those who weren't able to make it to the student body meeting this evening (a big thank you to Shannon for distributing these notes on the Illustration discord):

-Bring noise makers, earplugs/headphones, water, snacks, sunscreen, umbrellas for shade, dress lightly (projected weather is almost 90 degrees!) and in red and white if possible

-Locations for the walkout are the RISD beach, ProvWash, and Market Square

-Do not enter ProvWash with strike paraphernalia and do not touch the RISD Museum

-No posters with Crystal William's likeness, especially caricatures

-Please do not break any property, block traffic, or litter

-Incoming freshmen may be on unofficial tours during the walkout

And of course, the most important thing: show up if you are physically able, even if you are only able to do so for a short amount of time (it's totally okay)! The point is that we need bodies and numbers to show vocal support as possible, and the banner will be a part of that.




With all that being said, thanks for reading thus far, have a good night, and hopefully I'll see you tomorrow!

Lio :)

Instagram Post #2 – A statement from your department representatives

IG @risdillustration

Date: April 14th 2023


Hi all,


In the wake of our post about the department’s statement, several Illustration students have expressed the desire for a post that more accurately represents the firm support of the illustration student body for the ongoing Teamsters strike. We department representatives completely agree with this sentiment. As a group, we also recognize that social media is a powerful platform to spread support and rally action to call out capitalistic injustice. Therefore, we would like to make this post to firmly voice the student body’s support for those who take care of us.


We demand that our staff, who have contributed so much to our community, deserve a livable wage.


Today, Friday April 14th, our broader RISD community came together for a walk-out in support of our staff and the strike, and it was incredible to see so many people continuing to express their solidarity. Part of our student-run efforts to demonstrate our support was to create a large banner of signatures - a message that says loud and clear that we’re here to take care of the people who care for us, and that we’re not leaving until they are treated fairly for their work. Even in we, the students, cannot represent the entire department, this banner flying proudly from the ISB is living proof that we will be heard. Let this ephemera be one of the many evidences of our solidarity.


Despite this letter being one of many student statements to voice our steadfast support for their livable wage for our hardworking staff, we are aware that each individual has their own point of view and, unfortunately, the dep reps cannot fully encapsulate the power of each individual's incomparable variation of showing solidarity. Therefore, we encourage students who wish to voice their own unique statements of support if they have not done so already, as any and all student voices are valuable.


Thank you for taking the time to read our statement of solidarity. This week alone, we have been able to make significant strides in voicing our concerns and opinions productively to our illustration faculty and will continue to communicate our students voices. If you were striking out there today, and/or plan doing so in the future, make sure to keep cool, stay hydrated, and nourished! Most importantly, regardless of where you are, we urge everyone, including ourselves, to remain informed about the strike through multiple platforms: i.e social media, following news reports, and being involved in the community activities in general. We would also like to remind you that there is a petition going around too!


Let’s continue supporting each other, custodians, groundskeepers, and movers, and their right to fair pay.


Thank you for being the community we have the opportunity to represent. Thank you for staying true to yourselves as individuals, students, and community members.


All of you must be exhausted. Make sure to get some rest and take care of yourselves.


With much love,


Your Department Representatives

Email #6 – Today’s student walk out – stay safe !

From: Rachael DuMoulin

Date: April 14th 2023

Title: Today’s student walk out – stay safe!


Hello all,

I hope everyone is doing okay today.


I wanted to let you know that I am working remotely today in an attempt to work on, if not finish, the schedule for Fall 2023. I may be slower than normal to respond to any emails. I do have the google chat app on my phone, so I can be reached on my risd account there as well.


If you are participating in the walk out today, please be careful, it's going to be unseasonably hot out there today. Please make sure you're drinking enough water, and wear sunscreen if you can. And please don't over do it- take a break if you need to. Leah will be in the ISB, or at least very close by outside. Seek her out if you need anything.


And as always, please let me know if you need anything or have any questions or concerns.


Best,

Rachael

Instagram Post #2 – A statement from your department representatives

IG @risdillustration

Date: April 14th 2023


Content:

Hi all,


In the wake of our post about the department’s statement, several illustration students have expressed the desire for a post that more accurately represents the firm support of the Illustration student body for the ongoing Teamsters strike. We department representatives completely agree with this sentiment. As a group, we also recognize that social media is a powerful platform to spread support and rally action to call out capitalisitic injustice. Therefore, we would like to make this post to firmly voice the student body’s support for those who take care of us.


We demand that out staff, contributed so much to our community, deserve a livable wage.


Today, Friday April 14th, our broader RISD community came together for a walk-out in support of our staff and the strike, and it was incredible to see so many people continuing to express their solidarity. Part of our student-run efforts to demonstrate out support was to create a large banner of signatures- a message that says loud and clear that we’re here to take care of the people who care for us, and that we’re not leaving until they are treated fairly for their work. Even if we, the students, cannot represent the entire department, this banner flying proudly from ISB is living proof that we will be heard. Let this ephemera be one of many evidence of our solidarity.


Despite this letter being one of many students statements to voice our steadfast support for the livable wage for our hardworking staff, we are aware that each individual has their own point of view and, unfortunately, the dep reps cannot fully encapsulate the power of each individual’s incomparable variation of showing solidarity. Therefore, we encourage students who wish to voice their own unique statements of support if they have not done so already, as any and all student voices are valuable.


Thank you for taking the time to read our statement of solidarity. This week alone, we have been able to make significant strides in voicing our concerns and opinions productively to our Illustration faculty and will continue to communicate our student’s voices. If you were striking out there today, and/or plan doing so in the future, make sure to keep cool, stay hydrated, and nourished! Most important, regardless of where you are, we urge everyone, including ourselves to remain informed about the strike through multiple platforms: i.e social media, following new reports, and being involved in community activites in general. We would also like to remind you there is a petition going around too!


Let’s continue supporting each other, our custodians, groundkeepers, and movers, and their right to fair pay.


Thank you for being the community we have the opportunit to represent. Thank you for staying true to yourselves as individuals, students, and community members.


All of you must be exhausted. Make sure to get some rest and take care of yourselves.


With much love,


Your Department Representatives