Episode Details

On this episode of Talk of the Bay the theme is: sex and rock n’ roll - in the context of labor. Host Meilin Obinata welcomes workers who are fighting for their legal rights in two different industries with surprisingly connected issues: sex work and entertainment. How are modern workers resisting employers who are squeezing workers for intellectual property and exploiting them to avoid paying fair wages?Adalind Gray, a worker at Sherri’s Ranch, is part of a first in labor history in the United States where people have created the first union of sex workers, the United Brothel Workers. Hear from Gray directly why the workers decided to fight back when their employer asked them to give up power of attorney and other rights in order to work in a Nevada brothel.Obinata also welcomes Joey La Neve Defrancesco, co-founder of the Union Musicians and Allied Workers and part of the punk band, the Downtown Boys. Learn how musicians are fighting against streaming giants, festival organizers and other Goliaths of the entertainment industry while protecting fans from price-gouging!