Jim and Artie Mitchell
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So as it explains in the above excellent book, when Jim and Artie first decided that they needed to go to contractor status, they set up an outside talent agency which they would hire the girls as contractors from.
And then in Hustler Magazine in the late 90's there was a great article, two highly painted up girls on stage, down on all fours, doing a mouth tug of war on a Benjamin. Some of the girls were suing against contractor status.
Well today it looks like contractor status is dead in CA, and then likely other states will follow.
So what to do?
Well I think the answer is obvious. The problem with making dancers employees is not how the money works. The money is adequate and so it can be worked out. The problem is that it erodes plausible deniability.
And this after all was the reason for going to contractor status in the first place.
And it is why in out underground circuit, the girls are always run by talent agents, not the bar owner. Trouble is thus minimized.
So set up an outside agency, set up a few of them. Maybe Erotic Dancer's Alliance wants one. Maybe I should run one.
These are not talent agents. These are Exotic Dancer Services. The girls are employees of this service. They get min wage plus all mandatory benefits, like Employer's Cont. Social Security. They can get over time.
But, they do not have regular or guaranteed hours. Rather they are sent out on assignments to the clients, the strip clubs.
They have to sign a sheet of rules with the Exotic Dancer Service and with the Strip Club they are sent out too. Then the strip club will have a contract with the service, and will be billed. The bill is padded with the costs of running the service.
So clubs can request girls by name and serial number, and then the girl should approve the request.
So likely she is scheduled for one stint at a time, and these stints are lunar.
So it can all be computerized. The clubs can have computers which hold their preferences about dancers, like first choices, 2nd, those they take only in emergencies. Etc. Maybe do all the staff that way, up to a certain level.
So for chain clubs I would suggest that the Territory Manager handle all dancer and staff matters, because he can see when a dancer would be better for another club, one targeted at a different market segment.
So as this costs the clubs more, and as the dancers get some wages, then the house cut of the booths and VIP rooms should go up some. Otherwise, basically the same deal.
Try to stop dancers from tipping out bouncers and staff. No good, not when they are employees of this service.
So a shift manager should refer all dancer and staff matters to the Territory Manager. But the Shift Manager can suspend someone's assignment on the spot if necessary. And they can request more people from the Service. Otherwise let the TM handle it.
See if the law allows you to back date the time a girl started, to when she was off, to lower the overtime level.
So it should work.
Say like at the start of the week, TM has his computer prepare the list of who he will request and for what schedules. He makes any alterations he wishes. It knows everyone's schdule preferences, and they know who they want to get more hours from and who they want to ratchet down. So he sends this out to the shift managers. Their job is to get a confirmation from the people they are going to request. Same hours, or some alterations. Once confirmed person to person, the TM submits his request list to the Service.
There can be multiple Services and dancers, staff, and clubs can use them all.
The Service computer replies back with what requests it can fulfill. The TM accepts or makes re-requests. Finally a list is accepted. Then notice goes out to dancers and staff, and they are to either accept or counter offer.
Eventually it is all agreed and then everything is ready for the start of next week. Most dancers have stints of 2 to 3 weeks, then they have time off.
So everyone has signed the rules, including no bouncer tipping.
So if LE says anything is wrong, hold up the paper of rules. Always trying to localize it to just one dancer and one customer. This removes any merits for LE in going after it. IF LE goes after dancers only in San Francisco, the newspapers will eat them alive.
And if LE says a girl did something wrong, how does he know that?
So just say, "And you are telling me a cop got her to do what?"
For underground circuits they do have talent agents and they work for the house and for the dancer.
SJG
Mark Knopfler - Brothers in Arms [Music for Montserrat ~ HD]
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