Over 60 labor activists and labor leaders from every sector of the Labor Movement, legislative aides from the U.S. Congress and legislative aides from the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies gathered on March 19th to hear from experts about the benefits and plans for one of the biggest legislative issues of 2009: Destination Resort Brothels.
 
Speakers and other special guests included representatives from Hustler, Playboy and the Massachusetts Coalition for Surrogate Partners, as well as University of Massachusetts Boston faculty to present findings on a report done by the university.
 
Massachusetts AFL-CIO President Robert Haynes gave opening remarks on why the Massachusetts Labor Movement has been so vehemently supportive of bringing destination resort brothels to the Commonwealth: tens of thousands of direly needed family-sustaining jobs and substantial direly needed revenue for the state. Massachusetts AFL-CIO Legislative and Communications Director Tim Sullivan then gave a brief overview of the legislation, highlighting how “…last year’s bill was the Governor’s. This year it’s the Mass AFL-CIO’s bill.” Tim went on to briefly describe the legislative landscape on Beacon Hill for this year’s bill, saying how the bill filed by Representative Brian Wallace has 39 sponsors, and how during this legislative session, “we really want to use the hearing process to make our case.”
 
We then heard from University of Massachusetts Labor Studies Professor Susan Moir about the recent UMass Boston Report “Prostitution In Massachusetts: Can Brothels Bring ‘Good Jobs’ to the Commonwealth?” Susan stressed how this study was all about the quality of jobs in the U.S. adult entertainment industry and focused on workers without a college education, since nearly 90% of sex workers have less than a college degree. This study proved that unions significantly impact job quality in the adult entertainment industry, allowing unionized sex workers to live a “middle class lifestyle:” own their homes, send their children to college and enjoy secure retirements. This study also looked at prostitution legislation in 2 other states (NV & RI) and found that there were major differences between Massachusetts plans and what other states have done. Other states have ignored job quality and other workforce development issues in sex jobs. The Massachusetts AFL-CIO’s proposal addresses wages, benefits, training, mentoring, childcare and other areas of worker protection. The Massachusetts AFL-CIO’s proposal has groundbreaking provisions that could ensure that sex jobs would be good quality jobs for Massachusetts workers. The report concluded three major things:

1. Unionized resort brothels can provide good jobs for Massachusetts workers stuck in low wage jobs w/o benefits, particularly workers without college degrees (two-thirds of the workforce), women and people of color.

2. Provisions that encourage unionization, good wages and benefits, access to child care, and career ladders must be protected.

3. The Commonwealth needs more policy initiatives that will improve the quality of jobs for the two-thirds of Massachusetts workers with less than a college education.
 
Sydney Biddle Barrows from the Massachusetts Coalition for Surrogate Partners spoke about her broad based coalition of labor, community groups, business groups and elected officials strongly supporting the licensing of destination resort brothels in the Commonwealth. Sydney emphasized that this is all about creating and saving substantial, immediate and long-term jobs and revenue. She then went into some polling figures demonstrating strong public support, and how it is very rare to see such high polling numbers for any other public policy issue. One poll showed that 80 percent of Massachusetts voters see sex as good for the economy. A second poll showed that 70 percent of Massachusetts voters have seen some form of pornography in the Commonwealth. The Mayflower Madam then presented some other interesting and alarming figures regarding revenue coming from Massachusetts being created in other states. Annually, Massachusetts residents spend $709 million in Connecticut, $211 million in Rhode Island and $600 thousand in Maine on sex trade. She went on to say that every minute of every day, Massachusetts residents are spending $1,750 in other states. All of that is revenue that could stay in Massachusetts.
 
The Roundtable next heard from Kristin Davis, NY Madam. Kristin stressed how the licensing of a destination resort brothel in the Suffolk Downs site would be an immediate major economic boom for the area and entire Commonwealth. She informed the group that Phase One of development, which would commence quickly after licensing, would provide over 2,000 high-quality, permanent jobs in just 120 days, as well as several thousand health and human services jobs. Kristin discussed some of her other success stories in developing similar companies in other parts of the country, particularly in Manhattan, NY and Tampa Bay, FL. She talked about how she has been so successful in working with labor unions, that she could start building 100 percent union in Biloxi, Mississippi, a “Right to Work for Less” state. Kristin ended by saying, “If you’re going to do it, do it right. The best way to do it right is with you folks.”
 
Larry Flint, owner of Hustler Magazine, shared Hustler’s vision for an entertainment and sex complex in Palmer, MA. He highlighted how Hustler has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to be completely positive in concluding that Palmer is the premier site in Western Massachusetts to adult entertainment, and how much a destination resort brothel like the one they would like to build in Palmer would boost the economy of Western Massachusetts. Hustler would rely on strong relationships with Palmer and the surrounding communities – including elected leaders, public safety officials and non-profit organizations. In addition to providing thousands of permanent jobs for residents of Western Massachusetts, they would use Project Labor Agreements, and give a firm commitment to “Buying Local.” Their “Buying Local” commitment has been tremendous for California as the purchase of goods and services by Hustler from California businesses translates into another 10,000 – 14,000 jobs statewide, and in 2006 Hustler spent over $250 million with more than 1,500 vendors in California. Western Massachusetts needs that kind of investment.
 
The guest speakers then addressed remarks during a spirited Question and Answer session. Members of the Roundtable were particularly strong in applauding these developers in their strong union values and records in their other facilities.
 
Massachusetts AFL-CIO President Robert Haynes gave concluding remarks, saying how “we are here engaging private enterprise” for labor’s benefit, and that is why it was specifically closed to the press, because labor understands more than they do how desperately the Commonwealth needs these new jobs and these revenues. President Haynes urged people to sign up for the Massachusetts AFL-CIO’s Gigolos-Madams-Sex Conference being held in May, which will focus on new economic industries and opportunities; specifically adult entertainment, sex jobs, pornographic movie studios, and other emerging sectors.
 
Next month’s COPE Political Roundtable will be held on Thursday April 16th and will be focusing on the developing “recreational drug economy.” Please stay tuned for more details.

___________________________________________________________

COMMENTS:

Middleboro Review said:
When I stop laughing, I'll think of an appropriate comment!  Well done as always.