Artists are significantly more likely to hold multiple jobs, with 37% nationally—and 41% in the Midwest—working two or more jobs just to get by (NORC National Survey of Artists, 2025). Although all workers are at risk of experiencing violations of employment and labor laws, workers in low-paid and precarious jobs are especially vulnerable to wage theft and other workers’ rights violations such as illegal discrimination and occupational health and safety hazards. Educating workers to build their voice, literacy in policy, and worker empowerment is essential for job success and stability. A critical component of being “job ready” is knowing one’s rights at work.
Join Arts Alliance and Lawyers for the Creative Arts to learn more about worker rights and policies, enforcing rights, and strategies for protecting rights – all which are key to improving job quality and ensuring safe conditions for all workers.
This is the first event in a larger Worker Rights series designed to equip artists and creative workers across Illinois with the tools, knowledge, and protections they need to thrive. Watch for additional events coming soon!
Artists are significantly more likely to hold multiple jobs, with 37% nationally—and 41% in the Midwest—working two or more jobs just to get by (NORC National Survey of Artists, 2025). Although all workers are at risk of experiencing violations of employment and labor laws, workers in low-paid and precarious jobs are especially vulnerable to wage theft and other workers’ rights violations such as illegal discrimination and occupational health and safety hazards. Educating workers to build their voice, literacy in policy, and worker empowerment is essential for job success and stability. A critical component of being “job ready” is knowing one’s rights at work.
Join Arts Alliance and Lawyers for the Creative Arts to learn more about worker rights and policies, enforcing rights, and strategies for protecting rights – all which are key to improving job quality and ensuring safe conditions for all workers.
This is the first event in a larger Worker Rights series designed to equip artists and creative workers across Illinois with the tools, knowledge, and protections they need to thrive. Watch for additional events coming soon!
About our Speaker
Alison Dickson
Alison Dickson is a labor economic researcher and Senior Instructor in the School of Labor and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her efforts led to the first curriculum ever developed in the U.S. (a 4th edition released in 2024) entirely focused on connecting workers’ rights education to workforce development programming. As an affiliate of the Project for Middle Class Renewal, Alison has studied job quality and policy impacts pertaining to low-wage labor markets including minimum wages, paid sick leave, fair scheduling legislation and efforts to combat wage theft and improve job quality across industries.
In addition to research, Alison has directed and taught in the Worker Rights Project, a University of Illinois initiative that provides bilingual (Spanish-English) workers’ rights training for low-wage workers. Alison is an author of several research reports and policy briefs related to issues facing Illinois workers and has provided expert testimony to the Chicago City Council, Illinois Legislative Assembly, and the International Labour Organization.