Strippers work for clubs or are at least independent contractors that have to follow the club's rules. Independent providers are self employed entrepreneurs. Don't know what arrangements agency girls have but remember that an illegal contract is not enforceable so they can not collectively bargain.
Could escorts be that far behind? (at least at the legal brothels in Nevada, anyways)
Reminds me of an organization up in Mass. many years ago called PUMA (Prostitutes Union of Massachusetts.)
Strippers work for clubs or are at least independent contractors that have to follow the club's rules. Independent providers are self employed entrepreneurs. Don't know what arrangements agency girls have but remember that an illegal contract is not enforceable so they can not collectively bargain.
the brothels in Nevada specifically. That's a different thing altogether. And who knows? I hope so. I love people organizing for their rights!
There are plenty of sex workers of all stripes organizing for their rights. Just go to http://www.swopusa.org/about-us/chapters/ to see the many SWOP chapters alone. This doesn't include the many others organizing, too. Independent escorts will usually organize for the right to not be harassed by police, the right to report grievances without risk of arrest, the right of all to carry condoms without having them used against the carrier as evidence in order to arrest them, etc.
Per the article:...Oregon's free speech protections...limit the regulations...rules that apply exclusively to strip clubs won't fly, so they'll have to be imposed on all "live entertainment" venues, bringing a whole host of fully-clothed entertainers into the mix....
This means that any attempt to deny the action being led by the strippers, can instead be labelled as failing to protect all entertainers and private contractors. And the requests they're making are fairly logical: comply with mandatory health and safety standards such as clean stages, structurally sound poles, and adequate security; plus having clubs display a poster outlining dancers' rights with a hotline they can call to ask questions or report abuses. The hotline would be staffed by people with experience in the industry instead of bureaucrats or law enforcement (per the article).
How could any lawmaker honestly say "No, I don't want someone to have a safe working environment, and I don't want entertainers to know their rights, and I don't want them to have a resource they can call to report abuses." This would apply to stage actors, theatre groups, musicians, entertainers, performers, etc. in addition to strippers.
This also permits the lawmakers to vote FOR the proposal without being labelled as endorsing stripping. The more we can do to ensure all consensual activities are equally protected, the better off we'll be. Once you can label something in particular, that's when discrimination starts. My opinion is this is the first action in a long-term approach by the adult entertainment industry in that region to protect rights and reduce chances for oppression. Hope it works out!
As well as cities all over the US.
I love hearing stories of women in the sex industry and/or strip industry taking control of power into their hands and standing up for better work conditions. Its amazing what a collective of women can do when they are fed up with something.
--SD
another union. Has nobody here figured out that union organizers don't give two shits about their members. They care about their political power and filling their pockets.
Its like anything there will always be scabs. Hopefully without real scabs...but you get the idea. Pot's legal in Colorado and the illegal business still thrives. So will non-union hookers.
Article specifically notes the desire of the performers to address workplace conditions and clarify the contractor responsibilities.
They aren't looking to form an employment union.
“Every great cause begins as a movement, becomes a business, and eventually degenerates into a racket.” -- Eric Hoffer
Just to be clear, I'm referring to balljointnut's reference to unions, and not to the idea of strippers and others organizing.
-- Modified on 2/2/2015 8:19:01 PM