Actors' Equity Association Stands With The Association Of International Comedy Educators At Second City Chicago

Actors' Equity Association, the national labor union representing more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers in live theatre, including the actors and stage managers of Second City in Chicago and Brooklyn, has announced its support for our colleagues who have been bargaining with the management of Second City for more than two years. Equity has issued the following statement: 

“Actors' Equity Association stands in solidarity with faculty, facilitators and music directors employed by Second City as they demand more equitable working conditions, reasonable compensation and a more collaborative relationship with management. Many Equity members have been trained by the talented educators and performers who make up the Association of International Comedy Educators at Second City, and we know firsthand how their labor forms the backbone of Second City both artistically and financially.  

“We also know firsthand how challenging it is to bargain with the private equity businesspeople who now run Second City – but we know that it is possible to reach acceptable terms with them that recognize the care and creativity of the workers and solidify a shared vision for the future of the institution. There is absolutely no reason a good faith negotiation should drag on for more than two years. 

“We call on the Second City management to bargain in good faith and quickly come to a fair agreement with the workers who make Second City the premiere comedy destination for both audiences and performers.” 

ACTORS' EQUITY ASSOCIATION, founded in 1913, is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers. Equity endeavors to advance the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits (health and pension included). Member: AFL-CIO, FIA. www.actorsequity.org