Sex workers at Nevada brothel seek to form first U.S. union

Sex workers at Sheri's Ranch, one of Nevada's oldest brothels, have filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board to form a union, seeking to become the first sex workers in the United States to unionize.

The majority of the brothel's 74 workers submitted the petition last week under the name United Brothel Workers, represented by the Communications Workers of America. Nevada is the only state where people can legally purchase sex, with prostitution permitted at licensed brothels in 10 of the state's rural counties. Sheri's Ranch is located in Pahrump, about an hour's drive from Clark County, which includes Las Vegas and does not permit legal prostitution.

"We want the same things that any other worker wants. We want a safe and respectful workplace," said a worker at the brothel who uses the stage name Jupiter Jetson. She requested that her legal name not be disclosed due to concerns about harassment.

The unionization effort follows tensions between workers and management. According to legal representatives of the nascent union, the brothel's management terminated three sex workers in recent days and threatened others with dismissal if they did not sign a new contract that workers consider controversial. The new contract has become a central point of contention in the dispute.

Workers are seeking protections and conditions comparable to those pursued by other labor groups. The petition represents an effort to establish formal representation and collective bargaining rights for sex workers in the legal brothel industry.