One Size Fits All- A Lie or Willful Ignorance?
*If you're hoping this blog is about stripper fashion, stop reading. We all know OSFA clothing is a fallacy. So what the hell am I referring to? Our current industry-wide conundrum and what most dancers, including myself, need everyone to understand; especially lawmakers!
*For as long as the current generation of dancers have been in and out of various clubs, each with their own set of rules, one thing has ALWAYS been consistent; we're lucky if we actually find a club that doesn't break laws for the owner's personal gain. We EXPECT to be independent contractors, then sign a fake contract and become overworked and UNPAID EMPLOYEES!
*This still confuses most, so I'll make this a simple to grasp as possible. Nearly all dancers have said "scheduling us is illegal, so why are we on one and get fined if we miss or ask to leave".. In some clubs, in order to leave early, you must forfeit ALL CASH FROM THAT SHIFT! So why are all of these issues coming to light now? A random state ruling that royally fucked dancers in every way possible! ALL mislabeled employees in all fields were reclassified "properly".. To US, "PROPERLY" WOULD BE MAKING US ALL CONTRACTORS! ACROSS THE BOARD!! That's what WE WANT! So why are "advocates" LYING to us?! Lives are RUINED and they're all "this is better".. FOR WHOM?! The state of California?! Cool.. Get your back taxes; the IRS demands it. But to FUCK OVER WORKERS, NOT GAF AND TELL US WHAT WE WANT?! NOT COOL!!!!
*According to every law ever, contractors work on THEIR time, with minimal supervision or rules placed upon them, and may work at any establishment suited to their job description. So dancers, by law, SHOULD be able to work at any club, anytime they feel like it and nobody can force them to stay; nor tip unless they choose to. Club owners provide a stage for us to perform on, rooms for private dances and beyond that, THEIR ONLY DUTY IS TO OVERSEE AND ONLY REMOVE PEOPLE WHO'VE DONE SOMETHING ILLEGAL! They're NOT our bosses. We ARE employees, as of now; at least those of us on schedules. WE WERE NEVER HAPPY ON SCHEDULES, NOBODY get benefits through work anymore and MCDONALD'S WORKERS MAKE MORE THAN MANY CALIFORNIA DANCERS!! But it's all good.. Right.. Fuck you!!
*We want to be treated AS OUR CURRENT LABEL DEMANDS! We do NOT want to be labeled "employees" and forced onto the schedule we NEVER WANTED AND HAVE BEGGED FOR YEARS TO BE REAL CONTRACTORS! We cannot expect our lawyers, politicians and lawmakers to truly understand the TRUTH about our jobs; present day.
*Over a decade long I spent dancing and trying to figure out why everyone knew about the schedule issue and NEVER DID ANYTHING. Truth is, THOUSANDS of dancers have gone after their clubs, and with America's most high power labor rights attorneys ON OUR SIDE, we are finally being heard! Or are we..?
*We understand the "benefits" that used to come with employment and a paycheck, but nowadays PROPERLY LABELED EMPLOYEES don't even get full time, benefits or anything else that (supposedly) comes with it. SO WTF MAKES ANYONE THINK DANCERS WILL BE THE FIRST EMPLOYEES TO BEGIN TO GET ACTUAL BENEFITS AGAIN?! This is completely unrealistic and here's why;
*NOTHING ABOUT US OR OUR JOB IS "ONE SIZE FITS ALL"; to the dismay of those who support this notion, WE KNOW that a federal ruling to reclassify us as employees will KILL OUR INDUSTRY AS WE KNOW IT, DESTORY LIVES & WE'RE NOT ALLOWING IT!
*Getting over half a million dancers in the nation's 4,000+ clubs to agree to this, let alone comply is INSANE AND DELUSIONAL! I, for example, reside in a state with ZERO liquor sales, cheap clubs with cheap dances, and cheap or nonexistent customers. Does this sound like a business made for employment? It's ONLY LUCRATIVE FOR OWNERS BECAUSE WE PAY THEM 60% OF OUR INCOME!! Fuck NO! We're NOBODY'S PROPERTY OR SLAVES!!! That contract you sign is just a release saying the club now OWNS YOU, YOUR BODY AND YOUR TIME!!
*They control HOW you do your job, don't typically allow anyone to dance elsewhere and take AT LEAST 60% of OUR CASH!! It's SO BAD, in fact, that MANY of these clubs would go bankrupt if they ran legally and/or depended on customers alone. Instead, they hire more and more dancers, because each one is worth hundreds a week, to THEM! Most of us make six figure incomes each year, in theory; but over half of that gets taken.
*How can we let this go on? Simple.. Indoctrination and conditioning. Over the years EVERYONE has decided that because we dance nude, sexual assault is "normal"; we're told to get used to it. And the dancers who ARE employees haven't had many positive things to say. They're now losing 70% of their cash, hand it all in and pay their own MINIMUM WAGE! This is WORSE THAN BEING MISLABELED!! At least THAT is illegal and can be fought. A supreme court ruling that has led to clubs closing, dancers getting fired, losing their homes, LEAVING THE STATE and even suicide..
*If it isn't going well (UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE YEAR) then WHY IMPOSE IT FEDERALLY?! Well.. FIGHT IT! FIGHT FOR YOUR JOB. THE INDUSTRY YOU CREATED SO TAX EVADING CON ARTISTS CAN ROB YOU!! ***EVERYONE*** IS ENTITLED TO THEIR CHOICE IN THIS MATTER; EXCEPT PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE INDUSTRY!
*They can hear our stories all day, we can sue and HOPE it isn't buried amongst the thousands of current FLSA cases; some as DOL plaintiffs! There's NOTHING stating that you CAN'T FIGHT FOR YOUR LABEL AND NOT YOUR STATUS!! HOW, pray tell, do people think this will end? With an industry full of happy dancers? If California is any indication, then this industry is going down!
*Why doesn't anyone care? They do, but they DON'T have a firm grasp on our job BECAUSE THEY'VE NEVER DANCED!! It's like a restaurant manager who's never waited tables a day in his life. Pompous fuck will NEVER listen to the people who KNOW!
*Those wanting to change laws likely didn't mean for this to happen, but now that most dancers are aware of this newest battle, they've got something to say..
HOW ABOUT ASKING US WTF WE WANT AND NEED, RATHER THAN DECIDE YOU KNOW WHAT'S BEST?! HOW ABOUT STFU LONG ENOUGH TO HEAR EVERY WORD? WE...DON'T...WANT...A... SCHEDULE ANYMORE! FUCK PAYCHECKS. WE LIVE ON TIPS AND NEED OUR LIVES BACK!!
*It's ironic that the people who SAY they hear us and want to help are doing THE OPPOSITE OF EVERYTHING WE'VE EVER WANTED!! Dancers, WE have to stop this because THEY THINK THEY'RE HELPING US; BUT ACTUALLY ONLY MAKING DANCERS MISERABLE AND HATE THEIR JOBS!
*HELPING DANCERS AND DANCERS' RIGHTS INCLUDE OUR AUTONOMY, FREEDOM TO CHOOSE WHAT'S RIGHT FOR US AND NOT TELLING US THAT WE HAVE NO RIGHTS!!
*If you do MORE THAN DANCE, in most states it IS SOLICITATION OF PROSTITUTION AND WILL GET PEOPLE ARRESTED! SEXUAL ASSAULT IN A CLUB IS TAKEN MORE LIGHTLY THAN A MAN PEEING IN AN ALLEY! WE ARE HUMANS.. MORE IMPORTANTLY, MOST OF US ARE WOMEN! SO IF YOU CAN'T RESPECT OUR FUCKING JOBS AND HUMANITY, TRY TO REMEMBER (ESPECIALLY OTHER WOMEN) THAT WE DESERVE TO BE SAFE! CONTRACTOR OR NOT! AND WE WILL BE. WE. WILL. WIN. BECAUSE THIS INDUSTRY BELONGS TO DANCERS AND NOT THE OWNERS WHO PROVIDE OUR WORKSPACE!
STAND BY US AND LISTEN TO US! GIVE US BACK OUR FREEDOM AND BURN SCHEDULES!!!!
As I said, OSFA hasn't worked for anyone EVER. SO IT WON'T MAGICALLY BEGIN TO NOW! LISTEN TO US OR LEAVE US TO IT! WE DO NOT WANT OUTSIDERS' OPINIONS! IF WE DIDN'T ASK, DON'T FUCKING ASSUME WE WANT WHAT YOU THINK WE DO! Dancers feel IGNORED, NOT HEARD!! If people heard us, WE'D ALL BE LIVING LIFE THE WAY WE WERE MEANT TO! ON OUR OWN TIME! If that's too much to ask, leave your bullshit at the door because WE DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT ANYMORE!!! TIME FOR US TO HAVE A VOICE!!
*For as long as the current generation of dancers have been in and out of various clubs, each with their own set of rules, one thing has ALWAYS been consistent; we're lucky if we actually find a club that doesn't break laws for the owner's personal gain. We EXPECT to be independent contractors, then sign a fake contract and become overworked and UNPAID EMPLOYEES!
*This still confuses most, so I'll make this a simple to grasp as possible. Nearly all dancers have said "scheduling us is illegal, so why are we on one and get fined if we miss or ask to leave".. In some clubs, in order to leave early, you must forfeit ALL CASH FROM THAT SHIFT! So why are all of these issues coming to light now? A random state ruling that royally fucked dancers in every way possible! ALL mislabeled employees in all fields were reclassified "properly".. To US, "PROPERLY" WOULD BE MAKING US ALL CONTRACTORS! ACROSS THE BOARD!! That's what WE WANT! So why are "advocates" LYING to us?! Lives are RUINED and they're all "this is better".. FOR WHOM?! The state of California?! Cool.. Get your back taxes; the IRS demands it. But to FUCK OVER WORKERS, NOT GAF AND TELL US WHAT WE WANT?! NOT COOL!!!!
*According to every law ever, contractors work on THEIR time, with minimal supervision or rules placed upon them, and may work at any establishment suited to their job description. So dancers, by law, SHOULD be able to work at any club, anytime they feel like it and nobody can force them to stay; nor tip unless they choose to. Club owners provide a stage for us to perform on, rooms for private dances and beyond that, THEIR ONLY DUTY IS TO OVERSEE AND ONLY REMOVE PEOPLE WHO'VE DONE SOMETHING ILLEGAL! They're NOT our bosses. We ARE employees, as of now; at least those of us on schedules. WE WERE NEVER HAPPY ON SCHEDULES, NOBODY get benefits through work anymore and MCDONALD'S WORKERS MAKE MORE THAN MANY CALIFORNIA DANCERS!! But it's all good.. Right.. Fuck you!!
*We want to be treated AS OUR CURRENT LABEL DEMANDS! We do NOT want to be labeled "employees" and forced onto the schedule we NEVER WANTED AND HAVE BEGGED FOR YEARS TO BE REAL CONTRACTORS! We cannot expect our lawyers, politicians and lawmakers to truly understand the TRUTH about our jobs; present day.
*Over a decade long I spent dancing and trying to figure out why everyone knew about the schedule issue and NEVER DID ANYTHING. Truth is, THOUSANDS of dancers have gone after their clubs, and with America's most high power labor rights attorneys ON OUR SIDE, we are finally being heard! Or are we..?
*We understand the "benefits" that used to come with employment and a paycheck, but nowadays PROPERLY LABELED EMPLOYEES don't even get full time, benefits or anything else that (supposedly) comes with it. SO WTF MAKES ANYONE THINK DANCERS WILL BE THE FIRST EMPLOYEES TO BEGIN TO GET ACTUAL BENEFITS AGAIN?! This is completely unrealistic and here's why;
*NOTHING ABOUT US OR OUR JOB IS "ONE SIZE FITS ALL"; to the dismay of those who support this notion, WE KNOW that a federal ruling to reclassify us as employees will KILL OUR INDUSTRY AS WE KNOW IT, DESTORY LIVES & WE'RE NOT ALLOWING IT!
*Getting over half a million dancers in the nation's 4,000+ clubs to agree to this, let alone comply is INSANE AND DELUSIONAL! I, for example, reside in a state with ZERO liquor sales, cheap clubs with cheap dances, and cheap or nonexistent customers. Does this sound like a business made for employment? It's ONLY LUCRATIVE FOR OWNERS BECAUSE WE PAY THEM 60% OF OUR INCOME!! Fuck NO! We're NOBODY'S PROPERTY OR SLAVES!!! That contract you sign is just a release saying the club now OWNS YOU, YOUR BODY AND YOUR TIME!!
*They control HOW you do your job, don't typically allow anyone to dance elsewhere and take AT LEAST 60% of OUR CASH!! It's SO BAD, in fact, that MANY of these clubs would go bankrupt if they ran legally and/or depended on customers alone. Instead, they hire more and more dancers, because each one is worth hundreds a week, to THEM! Most of us make six figure incomes each year, in theory; but over half of that gets taken.
*How can we let this go on? Simple.. Indoctrination and conditioning. Over the years EVERYONE has decided that because we dance nude, sexual assault is "normal"; we're told to get used to it. And the dancers who ARE employees haven't had many positive things to say. They're now losing 70% of their cash, hand it all in and pay their own MINIMUM WAGE! This is WORSE THAN BEING MISLABELED!! At least THAT is illegal and can be fought. A supreme court ruling that has led to clubs closing, dancers getting fired, losing their homes, LEAVING THE STATE and even suicide..
*If it isn't going well (UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE YEAR) then WHY IMPOSE IT FEDERALLY?! Well.. FIGHT IT! FIGHT FOR YOUR JOB. THE INDUSTRY YOU CREATED SO TAX EVADING CON ARTISTS CAN ROB YOU!! ***EVERYONE*** IS ENTITLED TO THEIR CHOICE IN THIS MATTER; EXCEPT PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE INDUSTRY!
*They can hear our stories all day, we can sue and HOPE it isn't buried amongst the thousands of current FLSA cases; some as DOL plaintiffs! There's NOTHING stating that you CAN'T FIGHT FOR YOUR LABEL AND NOT YOUR STATUS!! HOW, pray tell, do people think this will end? With an industry full of happy dancers? If California is any indication, then this industry is going down!
*Why doesn't anyone care? They do, but they DON'T have a firm grasp on our job BECAUSE THEY'VE NEVER DANCED!! It's like a restaurant manager who's never waited tables a day in his life. Pompous fuck will NEVER listen to the people who KNOW!
*Those wanting to change laws likely didn't mean for this to happen, but now that most dancers are aware of this newest battle, they've got something to say..
HOW ABOUT ASKING US WTF WE WANT AND NEED, RATHER THAN DECIDE YOU KNOW WHAT'S BEST?! HOW ABOUT STFU LONG ENOUGH TO HEAR EVERY WORD? WE...DON'T...WANT...A... SCHEDULE ANYMORE! FUCK PAYCHECKS. WE LIVE ON TIPS AND NEED OUR LIVES BACK!!
*It's ironic that the people who SAY they hear us and want to help are doing THE OPPOSITE OF EVERYTHING WE'VE EVER WANTED!! Dancers, WE have to stop this because THEY THINK THEY'RE HELPING US; BUT ACTUALLY ONLY MAKING DANCERS MISERABLE AND HATE THEIR JOBS!
*HELPING DANCERS AND DANCERS' RIGHTS INCLUDE OUR AUTONOMY, FREEDOM TO CHOOSE WHAT'S RIGHT FOR US AND NOT TELLING US THAT WE HAVE NO RIGHTS!!
*If you do MORE THAN DANCE, in most states it IS SOLICITATION OF PROSTITUTION AND WILL GET PEOPLE ARRESTED! SEXUAL ASSAULT IN A CLUB IS TAKEN MORE LIGHTLY THAN A MAN PEEING IN AN ALLEY! WE ARE HUMANS.. MORE IMPORTANTLY, MOST OF US ARE WOMEN! SO IF YOU CAN'T RESPECT OUR FUCKING JOBS AND HUMANITY, TRY TO REMEMBER (ESPECIALLY OTHER WOMEN) THAT WE DESERVE TO BE SAFE! CONTRACTOR OR NOT! AND WE WILL BE. WE. WILL. WIN. BECAUSE THIS INDUSTRY BELONGS TO DANCERS AND NOT THE OWNERS WHO PROVIDE OUR WORKSPACE!
STAND BY US AND LISTEN TO US! GIVE US BACK OUR FREEDOM AND BURN SCHEDULES!!!!
As I said, OSFA hasn't worked for anyone EVER. SO IT WON'T MAGICALLY BEGIN TO NOW! LISTEN TO US OR LEAVE US TO IT! WE DO NOT WANT OUTSIDERS' OPINIONS! IF WE DIDN'T ASK, DON'T FUCKING ASSUME WE WANT WHAT YOU THINK WE DO! Dancers feel IGNORED, NOT HEARD!! If people heard us, WE'D ALL BE LIVING LIFE THE WAY WE WERE MEANT TO! ON OUR OWN TIME! If that's too much to ask, leave your bullshit at the door because WE DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT ANYMORE!!! TIME FOR US TO HAVE A VOICE!!
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