Sex workers at one of Nevada’s oldest brothels are fighting to be the first to be unionized in the United States.
“We want the same things every other worker wants. We want a safe and respectful work environment,” an employee at Sheri’s Ranch in Pahrump, who goes by the stage name Jupiter Jetson, told the AP.
In 10 rural Nevada counties, prostitution is legal in licensed brothels, one of the exceptions being Clark County, where Las Vegas is located, although Sheri’s Ranch is about an hour’s drive away.
Last week, most of the brothel’s 74 sex workers filed a petition to join the National Labor Relations Board to join the union, and the name has even been chosen: United Brothel Workers, represented by the Communications Workers Union of America.
Jetson explained that the decision to move forward was motivated by a new independent services contract, issued in December, which would give that brothel the power to use women’s images without permission. “And so we ended up being the face of a Japanese lubricant company without ever having signed a document”, highlighted Jetson, complaining that they don’t receive a cent for it.
“All workers are guaranteed certain human rights and dignity: the right to organize is one of them,” Marc Ellis, state representative for the Communications Workers of America, told the AP.
Jeremy Lemur, director of marketing and communications at the Sheri’s Ranch brothel, said he respects the workers’ right to “express their opinions about the structure of the workplace”, ensuring that the company aims to provide them with a “safe, legal and professionally managed environment”.
This union legalization process could drag on for weeks, but lawyers say that workers can choose to recognize the Communication Workers Union of America as their representative and begin negotiating new contracts right away.
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