Ladies, don't get any ideas.  You are definitely "independent contractors".  

Interesting.

http://www.salemnews.com/punews/local_story_289211834.html
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PEABODY — A class-action lawsuit has been filed against the owners of the Golden Banana on behalf of exotic dancers who say the club has incorrectly characterized them as independent contractors to avoid paying them wages and overtime.

Instead, the lawsuit alleges, the dancers were actually required to pay the Route 1 club as much as $150 for the privilege of dancing a single shift. And instead of receiving the state-mandated $2.63 per hour for employees who earn tips, the dancers' only source of income was those tips, the suit alleges.

The suit was filed this week in Salem Superior Court.

It's the third such lawsuit filed in Massachusetts over the issue of whether exotic dancers are employees of the establishments or work for themselves.

Earlier this year, a judge sided with the dancers at a Chelsea bar, finding they were essentially employees of the King Arthur's Club in Chelsea and that they were therefore entitled to back wages.

In this state they are NOT independent contractors.  The King Arthur's suit was all about the fact that calling a dancer an IC does not mean that she is one. It is in fact illegal in Mass to charge a fee to a dancer so that she can work.  This is the third or fourth suit to be filled since the KA decision and several Mass clubs are now considering putting dancers on the books and paying them a servers wage.

Now, the real question is are they better off? The answer is that they are not.  Unfortunately they will not figure this out until they show up one morning to work and find that they have to prove citizenship, file and pay taxes and deal with the fact that club management will be entitled to a portion of every dime they make selling private dances or VIP rooms.

Careful what you wish for...

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He may not be all knowing but he is right.

The girls are independant and transient in that biz and if on the books the club will take 50% of their dance money and make them adhere to a schedule.

This is what the one club on rt 1 that pays the girls to dance does and they are better off with tips only.

Now there's a case of the pot calling the kettle black if I ever saw one.

Dude, This is all old news if you go to strip clubs and read the club boards. It's been going on since earlier this year. You will just have to forgive the fact that like talking to sex workers, know how to read and don't post unless I know what I'm talking about.

I'm not renewing my VIP so I thought I'd use my alias while I can.

PD

to be authorized to work in the US.

You are absolutely right. Bad choice of words on my part. You DO however need to fill out an I9 form and show status. Without a valid green card you can not work legally.  Most of the Brazilians at King Arthur's had to leave after management started requiring the dancers to fill out paperwork.

Portdog is the best!

You say "Now, the real question is are they better off? The answer is that they are not." Obviously SOME women feel that they ARE better off, or else they wouldn't have participated in the suit! Paying taxes means that you are now elligeable for credit- car loans, mortgages, credit cards etc..

I have a very sweet client from Peru who let his papers expire and has been undocumented for quite a few years now. But he still has to pay taxes.. I'm very much in favor of immigration reform for people like him, but that's another topic...

...And, btw, many of the undocumented Brazilians pay taxes as well. The dancers often do not however as they work under the table. LOL, until now!

As far as my Brazilian fix, KA was not really the best venue.  It's a pretty crappy place to work which is what caused the suit to begin with.  The girls involved would have been better off just leaving for a better club.

No shortage of lovely South American dancers in other clubs in Mass, RI and CT...

Whether IC or staff, I really don't like the way that the women were talked about by the club (they're incidental entertainment "like TV sets...")  The whole system is set up to dehumanize them, even though they are performing a service that people want.  

Also, as someone who questioned the absolute ban on linking to any article that has a name in it, and involves a legal matter (it came up in the LoB case, and I think it was ridiculous not to allow the stories on that to be posted), how are there articles being posted about this situation, which names these sex workers?  I thought the rule was "absolute, no exceptions."