America’s Work Force Union Podcast welcomed Ella Fent, an Actors’ Equity Association member and a server-bartender at Drunk Shakespeare in Chicago, who shared the journey of unionizing the unique theater production.

Drunk Shakespeare is a theater production where actors perform Shakespearean plays while consuming alcohol on stage. It recently secured its first union contract, marking a significant victory for the performers and staff involved. Fent described the challenges the Drunk Shakespeare actors and servers faced, which prompted the push for unionization.

Fent explained that there were concerns about Actors’ Equity ability to represent them due to the unconventional nature of their performances. In response, Fent said the team reached out to the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee (EWOC) for guidance. With EWOC's support, they successfully connected with Actors’ Equity, which embraced their cause and helped them secure a contract that includes health insurance, pay raises and safety protections for the actors.

The unionization effort extended beyond Chicago, with other Drunk Shakespeare productions in Phoenix, Washington, D.C. and New York also joining the movement. Fent highlighted social media's crucial role in organizing across the cities, allowing fellow actors to connect and share experiences. This collaborative approach led to a unified contract that addressed the unique needs of each location. For example, the need for transportation reimbursements for actors in Phoenix.

Reflecting on her journey, Fent expressed how the experience transformed her career path, leading her to embrace a role as a union organizer. With continued support from EWOC, she is now involved in mentoring and organizing other workplaces. Fent's story underscores the power of collective action and the importance of unions in advocating for fair treatment and improved working conditions.

Listen to the full episode to hear more from Fent about the Drunk Shakespeare unionization journey and the role of EWOC.

America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.

America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, Alliance for American Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes-IBT, Boyd Watterson, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, Melwood, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of North America, The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers.

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