Speaker for the Living

Do exotic dancers deserve workers rights? Denver dancers join the ranks of erotic services workers across the US with a lawsuit against club Shotgun Willies, that demands these dancers no longer be treated as exploited independent contractors, but rather as respected employees. Exotic dancing, lawful protection and worker rights, and how erotic service providers are often trafficked or exploited are all discussed by hosts Seth Daire and JJ Janflone this week.

Sources:

http://stripperlaborrights.com/information/

https://thinkprogress.org/strip-clubs-get-away-with-exploiting-dancers-every-day-but-these-strippers-are-fighting-back-fb3a204bcc5a

http://www.denverpost.com/2017/03/14/denver-strip-clubs-lawsuit-fees/

http://www.denverpost.com/2017/05/09/shotgun-willies-nightclub-lawsuit/

http://www.westword.com/news/shotgun-willies-strippers-say-club-ripped-them-off-in-new-lawsuit-9049435

http://www.westword.com/news/strippers-getting-exploited-at-clubs-in-denver-and-beyond-lawsuit-says-8879856

https://www.scribd.com/document/347919653/Chada-Mantooth-et-a-v-Shotgun-Willie-s-et-al

https://www.scribd.com/document/341981848/Santich-v-VGC-Holding-Corp-et-al#from_embed

A look at Fair Trade for other products. Seth Daire discusses fair trade standards for hired labor on plantations by looking at reports for roses and bananas. JJ Janflone discusses fair trade for cosmetics by looking at Lush, Shiro, Dr. Bronner's, then finishes with a discussion of fashion.

Sources:

https://www.fairtrade.net/fileadmin/user_upload/content/2009/resources/140212-Worker-Empowerment-Ecuador-Flower-Plantations-final.pdf

https://www.fairtrade.net/fileadmin/user_upload/content/2009/resources/2012-06-20_Workers_rights.pdf

https://www.fairtrade.net/fileadmin/user_upload/content/2009/resources/140330-Banana-Colombia-Impact-Response-Fairtrade-MHNL-final.pdf

https://www.fairtrade.net/fileadmin/user_upload/content/2009/resources/1604_LEI_banana_research_management_response.pdf

https://www.fairtrade.net/fileadmin/user_upload/content/2009/standards/documents/generic-standards/HL_EN.pdf

http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/Farmers-and-Workers/Flowershttps://fairtradeusa.org/products-partners/flowers-plants

https://www.lushusa.com/

https://shirocosmetics.com/

https://www.drbronner.com/

http://news.trust.org/item/20160930143525-xvpxy

http://fashionista.com/2017/04/deadstock-clothing-fabric-sustainable-fashion

http://www.trueactivist.com/9-reasons-to-shop-second-hand/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/21/goodwill-workers-disabilities-low-wage_n_3478013.html

A look at Fair Trade for other products. Seth Daire discusses fair trade standards for hired labor on plantations by looking at reports for roses and bananas. JJ Janflone discusses fair trade for cosmetics by looking at Lush, Shiro, Dr. Bronner's, then finishes with a discussion of fashion.

Sources:

https://www.fairtrade.net/fileadmin/user_upload/content/2009/resources/140212-Worker-Empowerment-Ecuador-Flower-Plantations-final.pdf

https://www.fairtrade.net/fileadmin/user_upload/content/2009/resources/2012-06-20_Workers_rights.pdf

https://www.fairtrade.net/fileadmin/user_upload/content/2009/resources/140330-Banana-Colombia-Impact-Response-Fairtrade-MHNL-final.pdf

https://www.fairtrade.net/fileadmin/user_upload/content/2009/resources/1604_LEI_banana_research_management_response.pdf

https://www.fairtrade.net/fileadmin/user_upload/content/2009/standards/documents/generic-standards/HL_EN.pdf

http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/Farmers-and-Workers/Flowershttps://fairtradeusa.org/products-partners/flowers-plants

https://www.lushusa.com/

https://shirocosmetics.com/

https://www.drbronner.com/

http://news.trust.org/item/20160930143525-xvpxy

http://fashionista.com/2017/04/deadstock-clothing-fabric-sustainable-fashion

http://www.trueactivist.com/9-reasons-to-shop-second-hand/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/21/goodwill-workers-disabilities-low-wage_n_3478013.html

SPOILERS. The Star Wars universe includes multiple instances of slave-like practices. On this May the 4th, guest Robert Grant joins hosts Seth Daire and JJ Janflone to discuss clones, stormtroopers, Jaba's criminal organization, sentient droids, voluntary life debt, and how science fiction and fantasy give us a context to reflect on our own world.

SPOILERS. The Star Wars universe includes multiple instances of slave-like practices. On this May the 4th, guest Robert Grant joins hosts Seth Daire and JJ Janflone to discuss clones, stormtroopers, Jaba's criminal organization, sentient droids, voluntary life debt, and how science fiction and fantasy give us a context to reflect on our own world.

Fair Trade certification is one approach to improving the lives of farmers, particularly coffee producers. Hosts Seth Daire and JJ Janflone discuss what fair trade means and how it doesn't really address the needs of the farmworkers who harvest the coffee. Though the certification prohibits forced labor, no evidence has been presented that shows fair trade certifiers actively inspect or prevent conditions of slavery on farms. Fair trade has improved its focus on workers over the last few years, but consumers need to be aware that the problems of wages and forced labor can’t be solved with a label.

Sources:

http://humantraffickingcenter.org/fairtrade-coffee-answer/

http://standardsmap.org/compare?standard=0&shortlist=378,147,71,62,169&standards=71,147,62,378&product=Coffee&origin=Any&market=United%20States%20of%20America&cbi=78:78:755

https://www.fairtrade.net/standards/aims-of-fairtrade-standards.html

https://www.fairtrade.net/fileadmin/user_upload/content/2009/resources/2012-06-20_Workers_rights.pdf

http://dailycoffeenews.com/2015/05/15/starbucks-claims-99-ethically-sourced-coffee-but-what-does-that-even-mean/

http://dailycoffeenews.com/2015/08/25/myth-farm-labor-is-only-an-issue-for-big-roasters-sourcing-big-volumes/

http://ftepr.org/wp-content/uploads/FTEPR-Final-Report-19-May-2014-FINAL.pdf

http://equalexchange.coop/about/fair-trade/faqs/what-is-equal-exchange%E2%80%99s-response-to-the-university-of-londonsoas-study-on-fair-trade-and-labor-in

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/12/dining/12coff.html?ref=dining&_r=0

https://www.verite.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Research-on-Indicators-of-Forced-Labor-in-the-Guatemala-Coffee-Sector__9.16.pdf

Bacon, Christopher. “Confronting the Coffee Crisis: Can Fair Trade, Organic, and Specialty Coffees Reduce Small-Scale Farmer Vulnerability in Northern Nicaragua?” World Development 33, no. 3 (2005): 497–511.

Fridell, Gavin. Fair Trade Coffee: The Prospects and Pitfalls of Market-Driven Social Justice. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007.

Fair Trade certification is one approach to improving the lives of farmers, particularly coffee producers. Hosts Seth Daire and JJ Janflone discuss what fair trade means and how it doesn't really address the needs of the farmworkers who harvest the coffee. Though the certification prohibits forced labor, no evidence has been presented that shows fair trade certifiers actively inspect or prevent conditions of slavery on farms. Fair trade has improved its focus on workers over the last few years, but consumers need to be aware that the problems of wages and forced labor can’t be solved with a label.

Sources:

http://humantraffickingcenter.org/fairtrade-coffee-answer/

http://standardsmap.org/compare?standard=0&shortlist=378,147,71,62,169&standards=71,147,62,378&product=Coffee&origin=Any&market=United%20States%20of%20America&cbi=78:78:755

https://www.fairtrade.net/standards/aims-of-fairtrade-standards.html

https://www.fairtrade.net/fileadmin/user_upload/content/2009/resources/2012-06-20_Workers_rights.pdf

http://dailycoffeenews.com/2015/05/15/starbucks-claims-99-ethically-sourced-coffee-but-what-does-that-even-mean/

http://dailycoffeenews.com/2015/08/25/myth-farm-labor-is-only-an-issue-for-big-roasters-sourcing-big-volumes/

http://ftepr.org/wp-content/uploads/FTEPR-Final-Report-19-May-2014-FINAL.pdf

http://equalexchange.coop/about/fair-trade/faqs/what-is-equal-exchange%E2%80%99s-response-to-the-university-of-londonsoas-study-on-fair-trade-and-labor-in

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/12/dining/12coff.html?ref=dining&_r=0

https://www.verite.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Research-on-Indicators-of-Forced-Labor-in-the-Guatemala-Coffee-Sector__9.16.pdf

Bacon, Christopher. “Confronting the Coffee Crisis: Can Fair Trade, Organic, and Specialty Coffees Reduce Small-Scale Farmer Vulnerability in Northern Nicaragua?” World Development 33, no. 3 (2005): 497–511.

Fridell, Gavin. Fair Trade Coffee: The Prospects and Pitfalls of Market-Driven Social Justice. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007.

The role of psychological coercion within human trafficking was codified in the Trafficking Victims Prevention Act (TVPA). Hosts Seth Daire and JJ Janflone give an overview of anti-slavery legislation leading to the TVPA and explain why coercion can be hard to prove. JJ also talks about Colorado House Bill 1072 which amends current Colorado law to add better victim protection and claim affirmative defense. They close with a few words about Patty Hearst.

Sources:

https://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llsl&fileName=013/llsl013.db&recNum=596

https://polarisproject.org/current-federal-laws

http://www.state.gov/j/tip/laws/61124.htm

http://www.lexisnexis.com.du.idm.oclc.org/hottopics/lnacademic/?verb=sr&csi=12162&sr=TITLE(Psychological+coercion+in+the+context+of+modern-day+involuntary+labor+revisiting+United+States+v.+Kozminski+and+understanding+human+trafficking)%2BAND%2BDATE%2BIS%2B2007

https://dornsifecms.usc.edu/assets/sites/471/docs/The_Coercion_of_Trafficked_Workers.pdf

http://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/haswo16&div=6&g_sent=1&collection=journals

https://legiscan.com/CO/text/HB1072/2017

http://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb17-1072

http://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/resources/prostitution-and-human-trafficking.htm

http://www.du.edu/korbel/faculty/kaplan.html

The role of psychological coercion within human trafficking was codified in the Trafficking Victims Prevention Act (TVPA). Hosts Seth Daire and JJ Janflone give an overview of anti-slavery legislation leading to the TVPA and explain why coercion can be hard to prove. JJ also talks about Colorado House Bill 1072 which amends current Colorado law to add better victim protection and claim affirmative defense. They close with a few words about Patty Hearst.

Sources:

https://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llsl&fileName=013/llsl013.db&recNum=596

https://polarisproject.org/current-federal-laws

http://www.state.gov/j/tip/laws/61124.htm

http://www.lexisnexis.com.du.idm.oclc.org/hottopics/lnacademic/?verb=sr&csi=12162&sr=TITLE(Psychological+coercion+in+the+context+of+modern-day+involuntary+labor+revisiting+United+States+v.+Kozminski+and+understanding+human+trafficking)%2BAND%2BDATE%2BIS%2B2007

https://dornsifecms.usc.edu/assets/sites/471/docs/The_Coercion_of_Trafficked_Workers.pdf

http://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/haswo16&div=6&g_sent=1&collection=journals

https://legiscan.com/CO/text/HB1072/2017

http://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb17-1072

http://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/resources/prostitution-and-human-trafficking.htm

http://www.du.edu/korbel/faculty/kaplan.html

Nonphysical abuse through psychological and emotional means is an integral component of trafficking and slave-like practices. Hosts Seth Daire and JJ Janflone discuss Seth's unpublished paper on the topic that ties together psychological coercive methods used in trafficking, torture, and domestic abuse. The loss of control and identity that can be a part of trafficking are traumatic. To be controlled to the degree required for slavery and trafficking means that even if there are no rapes, threats or bruises, the person has been abused. To effectively prevent and prosecute sex and labor trafficking, and to effectively assist survivors, we need to better recognize and understand the role of psychological coercion within human trafficking.

Biderman’s Framework and Trafficking Survivors

Method

Trafficker Application

1. Isolation

Kept away from family and friends so no social support. Social isolation increased the power imbalance to make victims more dependent. This led to depression and loneliness.

2. Monopolization of Perception

Limited exposure to and understanding of the outside world. Monopolized their attention, so felt presence of trafficker when gone. Constantly watched.

3. Induced Debilitation and Exhaustion

Deprivation of basic human needs such as food, sleep, and health care. Victims worked day after day for long hours. Some victims were forced to consume drugs or alcohol.

4. Threats

Threats of arrest or deportation, and against family members. Threats of violence and death. Fostered anxiety and despair.

5. Occasional indulgences

Occasion kindness gave victims positive motivation for compliance, as it provided a reprieve from abuse. As it was unknown when indulgences would be given, this created anxiety to please and not make mistakes in hope of an emotional or material reward.

6. Demonstrating "Omnipotence" and "Omniscience"

Traffickers claimed influential connections to law enforcement, immigration officials, or deities. This created paranoia, fear, doubt of their sense of reality, and a sense they did not control their fate.

7. Degradation

Insulted, humiliated, denied privacy and dignity. Reduced to basic animal-level concerns.

8. Enforcing Trivial Demands

Focused on petty concerns developed habits of compliance to keep them entrenched. Also created a need to be perfect, which led to stress and anxiety, especially since work was debilitating due to lack of sleep, food, and social support.

Sources:

Patterson, Orlando. Slavery and Social Death. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1982.

Evans, Patricia. The Verbally Abusive Relationship. Blue Ash: F+W Media, Inc., 2009.

Seligman, Martin. Learned Optimism. New York: Random House, 2011.

https://chs.ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/downloads/Psychological%20Coercion%20in%20HT%20QHR%202014.pdf

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0153263#pone-0153263-t002

http://ilr.law.uiowa.edu/files/ilr.law.uiowa.edu/files/ILR_96-2_Kim.pdf