World Cafe Live workers walk off the job at Philly venue, protesting ‘hostility’ from new leadership
Servers, bartenders, guest service, and box office workers picketed on Walnut Street during a Suzanne Vega concert
Workers at University City music venue World Cafe Live walked out Wednesday night, protesting what they said was “an unacceptable level of hostility and mismanagement” from the venue’s new leadership group, headed by the nonprofit’s CEO, Joseph Callahan.
Callahan replaced the venue’s founder, Hal Real, who announced he was stepping down last month.
A few minutes after 8 p.m., singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega began her set in the downstairs Music Hall at World Cafe Live, wearing a stovepipe hat and singing “Marlena on the Wall.”
Her set would go on uninterrupted, as the singer did not know what was happening outside on Walnut Street, where about 18 people dressed in black — servers, bartenders, box office managers, and guest service workers — were picketing, holding signs that read “Respect Philly Music” and “Keep World Cafe Alive” while chanting “Hey hey, ho ho, Joe Callahan has got to go.”
Since Callahan, a Philadelphia-born tech entrepreneur, was elected CEO by the board of World Cafe Live last month, there has been an exodus of employees.
Longtime general manager and chief operations officer Kerri Park departed after 21 years, and booking agent Helen Smith resigned this week.
On Wednesday night, a jazz jam session usually helmed by Philly pianist Orrin Evans — who was in California this week — that was scheduled upstairs at the lounge at the WCL never got started, as the musicians called it off in solidarity with the workers.
Outside, night box office manager Sophia Mattes read a statement that she and her coworkers said has been sent to Callahan and his management team. Their list of demands included “on-time and accurate pay” as well as “full transparency,” “respect of all staff,” job security, and “a commitment to local Philly artists and guests.”
“If these demands are refused yet again, we are prepared as a united staff to take further action,” the statement continued before concluding:
“Joe Callahan and his staff have never been a part of the WCL family prior to his involvement related to becoming CEO. They have not been involved as our guests, they have not experienced the WCL experience that makes WCL what we all know and love.
“Callahan repeated to staff that ‘Philadelphia is nowhere in our mission statement.’ We are Philly, we love Philly, we need Philly. We want to keep Philly independent.”
A copy of the workers’ statement was sent to Callahan’s spokesperson on Wednesday night by The Inquirer, but no response was received.
It was unclear if employees planned to return to work Thursday or Friday. The Walnut Street venue — which shares a building with University of Pennsylvania radio station WXPN-FM (88.5) but is a separate enterprise — has a full calendar of forthcoming shows, with Sinkane scheduled to play upstairs at the Lounge on Thursday, and the Sun Ra Arkestra downstairs in the Music Hall.
A WCL news release last week was headlined “World Cafe Live Saved From Closure with New Leadership, Vision and Funding Campaign Aimed To Transform Iconic Philadelphia Venue.”
It said that the venue is burdened with $6 million in debt and that the new leadership team had launched a fundraising campaign in response.
Wednesday night, while passing drivers honked horns in support, many WCL employees expressed fear of losing their jobs and said a job fair had been held at the venue during the day.