A Sun-Times series spotlighting the people and professions that keep Chicago thriving.

Interns, residents, chief residents and fellows at the McGaw Medical Center voted 794-148 in favor of union representation, a federal spokesperson said.
Darryl Price claims he and other Black workers were denied the opportunity to transfer to other departments and missed out on overtime opportunities.
Workers who were let go in September delivered a petition signed by 1,000 people who say they won’t patronize the space atop the former John Hancock tower unless the former restaurant’s workers are offered their jobs back.
Still hurting from the pandemic, the nonprofit said it is trying to sell its apartment buildings to operators who will maintain the sites as affordable properties.
After nearly four months, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists approved a three-year pact with 78% voting in favor.
Owners cited ‘expenses of increased security, insurance and licensing, equipment, rent, and more’ as some of the reasons for the LGBTQ+ community anchor’s closure.
Workers in the manufacturing, warehousing, food service, janitorial and restaurant industries gathered to protest workplace harassment, including intimidation, degradation and identity-based targeting.
The union’s demands include a raise of the minimum hourly wage from $16.07 to $21, affordable health insurance, layoff protection, remote work options and negotiations before changes of job duties.
The new $3.2 billion venture will begin production in 2027 and create 1,400 new jobs, executives with both firms say. Another Kokomo battery plant will start production in 2025.
On Wednesday evening, the UAW shut down the largest and most profitable Ford plant in the world, where profitable large pickups and SUVs are built.
Mayor Brandon Johnson also joined the rally, asking the cheering crowd “Is this a union town, or what?”
The TV host has resumed production of ‘The Drew Barrymore Show,’ drawing the ire of striking members of the Writers Guild and Screen Actors Guild.
The United Auto Workers current contract with Ford, GM and Stellantis ends Sept. 14. Workers on Labor Day say the gulf between union demands and the automakers’ position mean a strike is likely.
Union leaders announced that more than 99% of members had voted to authorize a strike if contract talks ‘do not yield significant improvements.’
All 61 employees affected by the layoffs were offered their jobs back, 24 accepted and the others will receive back pay for the time they spent unemployed, the health center said.
The tally at the world’s largest location for the coffee chain deals a blow to the aspirations of Workers United, part of the Service Employees International Union.
Hospital union workers are seeking better pay and more staff. The report details how a patient died after being left alone in the emergency room.
Speakers at a public meeting at UIC tell Peoples Gas executives that the cost of living is already high and a rate hike would add to households’ financial pressure.
Frontline service, care and technical staff will strike Monday at the West Side hospital. They want a living wage, as job vacancies in some sections are between 25% and 35%.
The agreement, to be signed Tuesday, “is more expansive than in years past and comes earlier in the process than ever before,” Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison said.
Journalists at two dozen papers in eight states walk off the job, demanding an end to cost cutting and leadership change at Gannett, owner of more than 200 daily papers.