Worker Stories
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At the UIC Center for Healthy Work, we believe that listening to workers’ lived experiences is essential for shaping policies and practices that truly address their needs. By collecting stories and documenting real work situations, we gain valuable insights into the challenges workers face, especially those with precarious jobs. Providing workers with opportunities to share and reflect gives them the power to be part of the solution, ensuring that interventions are informed by those most affected and lead to more equitable and sustainable changes in the workplace.
COVID-19 Stories of Work in Greater Lawndale Heading link
Our Greater Lawndale Healthy Work project initiated the COVID-19 Stories Project to understand how COVID-19 has impacted the work situations of Greater Lawndale community members. Using a trauma-informed story collection approach, 26 community members were interviewed about work by youth from the neighborhood.
Workers Teatro Tells Their Stories Heading link
Together with the UIC Center for Healthy Work, the Community Writing Project and Workers Teatro documented the stories of temp workers in the Chicago area. Workers shared their experiences of work, health, and well-being during COVID-19 in a digital and print magazine and through live and recorded performances.
Workers Teatro Concerns & Questions about COVID-19 Heading link
Temp Cycle by Design by Workers Teatro Heading link
Incredible to hear real stories from these courageous women.”
“The most compelling part…the importance and power of people being able to share their own stories for themselves.”
“I really love the idea that dramatic performances are more engaging and a wonderful educational method. So glad I was here tonight.
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The magazine stories and videos are based on real lived experiences of various members of the group. These stories are the result of a collaboration with the Community Writing Project and Workers Teatro.
Workers Teatro is a local independent Chicago group of working people that have self-selected to work with Theater Director & Activist, Jasmin Cardenas to explore their working experiences using theater and other artistic forms of expression for the purpose of liberation and change.
The Community Writing Project offers writing workshops to members of poor, immigrant, and other marginalized communities in the Chicago area, and publishes writers’ stories in the magazine Real Conditions. We look forward to sharing the magazine, Voces de la experiencia, Voices of Experience magazine, which resulted from this collaboration, in the coming weeks.