Former workers at Philadelphia's World Cafe Live allege unfair treatment, late paychecks

Former employees of World Cafe Live in Philadelphia are speaking out after walking off the job mid-show last week. They blame a leadership shakeup for creating chaos, claiming mismanagement and a failure to pay workers on time.
Since 2004, World Cafe Live has been a home to emerging and established artists in Philadelphia.
The music venue and restaurant has hosted more than 500 live performances a year.
Leadership changed in April with new CEO Joe Callahan coming on board.
Several employees who have been protesting what they call "unfair treatment" outside the venue were let go following their walkout last week.
Former employees allege "an unacceptable level of hostility and mismanagement," and say workers weren't paid on time.
Several shows at the University City venue were canceled this week amid the ongoing labor tensions.
Callahan says this boils down to miscommunication and a failure of former leadership. He said the venue was struggling financially. He said any pay discrepancies have been corrected.
"There wasn't an efficient handoff to where we were addressing the issues at hand based on the financial strain on the organization and based on the improvements and the [adaptation] … to get it to a breakeven standpoint," Callahan said. "So I think it was all led out of fear that was derived from unknowns that they weren't kept informed."
World Cafe Live workers are not unionized. One former employee said it pains her to no longer work at the venue.
"I wish that I was inside," one former employee said Tuesday. "There were shows that I was scheduled to work over the next few weeks, and I've worked every single week throughout other obligations, other commitments … We all want this place to survive, the reason why we're outside is that we don't think it can under these circumstances, under Joe Callahan."
As for artists who have canceled performances, Callahan said that's also blowback from misrepresentation of information, and the venue continues to receive inquiries for new shows.

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