Mike Leda, IBEW Local 153 | Richard Shavzin, SAG-AFTRA

The America’s Work Force Union Podcast welcomed Mike Leda, Business Manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 153, to highlight the remarkable growth and evolution of his local in South Bend, Ind. Representing about 1,400 members across Northern Indiana and parts of Michigan, IBEW Local 153 has seen surging interest in the electrical trades and a booming apprenticeship program. On this episode of the America’s Work Force Union Podcast, Richard Shavzin, 1st Vice President of the SAG-AFTRA Chicago Local and Executive Board member of the Illinois AFL-CIO, discussed artificial intelligence. The conversation covered the implications for union performers and the broader creative sector, potential job security risks, personal agency concerns and the rapidly evolving legal landscape as AI reshapes entertainment and media. Shavzin drew on his decades of industry experience and recent service on Governor Pritzker’s AI task force, which he said put him in a vital role as an advocate for labor in the new age of technology.