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5 Cardozo Int'l & Comp. L. Rev. 921 (2021-2022)
Sex Work Is Real Work: The Implications of U.S. Strippers Winning the Right to Unionize, an International Comparative Study

handle is hein.journals/icpelr5 and id is 949 raw text is: SEX WORK IS REAL WORK: THE IMPLICATIONS OF U.S. STRIPPERS WINNING THE RIGHT TO UNIONIZE, AN INTERNATIONAL COMPARATIVE STUDY Katherine Fustich TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................. 921 II. SEX WORK IN THE UNITED STATES ....................................... 923 A. The Role of Exotic Dancers in the United States .......... 924 B. Sex Worker Unionization Efforts in the United States.. 927 C. The NLRB's Nolan Enterprises Decision & its Impact 932 III. INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES ............................................ 935 A. The United Kingdom..................................................... 936 B. Germany ........................................................................ 940 C. The Netherlands............................................................. 944 IV . SYNTHESIS ................................................................. .... 948 V . C O V ID -19 ............................................................................950 I. INTRODUCTION Sex work is sometimes referred to as the oldest profession.I In an unfortunate twist of irony, many of the individuals who practice sex work around the world, including in its many legal forms, are rarely treated with the dignity befitting a professional.2 In fact, many are not even considered employees of their workplaces, but instead are inde- pendent contractors or self-employed workers. This misclassification t Katherine Fustich is a writer and activist. She earned her Bachelor's from New York University in 2016, and her J.D. from Cardozo School of Law in 2022. This paper is written in solidarity with all sex workers around the world. i Dan Bilefsky, World's Oldest Profession, Too, Feels in Crisis, N.Y. TIMES (Dec. 8, 2008), https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/08/world/europe/08iht- sex.4.18500177.html [https://perma.cc/H74X-7SRA]. 2 See C. Gabrielle Salfati, Alison R. James & Lynn Ferguson, Prostitute Homi- cides: A Descriptive Study, 23 J. INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 505, 540 (2008). 921