VICTORY! Educators at Hollywood’s famed Second City win union election

VICTORY! Educators at Hollywood’s famed Second City win union election

HOLLYWOOD – It’s official! Arts educators and facilitators from The Second City - Hollywood are celebrating today after the announcement by the National Labor Relations Board that workers have voted to form a union, with Communications Workers of America Local 9400 and formed the Association of International Comedy Educators (AICE). https://www.aiceunion.com/

The Second City (TSC) boasts stages and training centers in three cities, including Hollywood, Chicago, and Toronto. In February, more than 100 comedy educators in Toronto voted make AICE and the CWA-Canada. https://cwacanada.ca/ Earlier this week, more than 150 TSC educators in Chicago are voting to organize as well. They will now be a part of the Illinois Federation of Teachers https://www.ift-aft.org/, AFT/AFL-CIO.

In Hollywood, AICE consists of about 100 comedy educators who help students of all ages develop their skills in comedy improvisation, performance, writing, editing, and much more. Now along with their colleagues in one strong union, they’ll be better positioned to achieve their goals of guaranteeing equitable and just working conditions and establishing health and accessibility, diversity and inclusivity, fair compensation, and reasonable employment terms for all AICE members.

Since first opening in Chicago in 1959, The Second City has produced hundreds of highly acclaimed performers and famous alumni https://www.secondcity.com/history/, including Bill Murray, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Gilda Radner, Mike Myers, Tina Fey and many others.

The Second City educators and facilitators began the organizing process last spring and have been coordinating their efforts between Hollywood and the other cities.

The Association of International Comedy Educators https://www.aiceunion.com/ (AICE) represents more than 350 educators and facilitators at The Second City in Hollywood, Chicago and Toronto. The Hollywood unit will be a part of CWA Local 9400.