Winning the Narrative for America’s First Brothel Workers’ Union
Background
In early 2026, courtesans at Sheri’s Ranch, one of Nevada’s oldest and best-known legal brothels, launched a historic effort to become America’s first unionized brothel workers.
The organizing drive began after management introduced a new independent contractor agreement that workers said dramatically expanded the brothel’s control over their professional lives. Among other provisions, the contract granted the company broad authority over workers’ names, images, likenesses, and intellectual property, along with sweeping power-of-attorney provisions. Workers also raised concerns about workplace safety, inconsistent rule enforcement, opaque fees, retaliation, and the lack of a meaningful grievance process.
The workers had no public identity, no communications strategy, and no organizing infrastructure. They were being told to sign the agreement immediately or leave their jobs. Every day mattered.
Catalyst:
On a Friday afternoon, the courtesans contacted Catalyst Campaigns founder Scott Goodstein for assistance.
Within hours, Goodstein had developed the framework for the campaign and connected the workers with the Communications Workers of America (CWA). By the end of the weekend, the organizing strategy, communications plan, and campaign architecture were underway. Within days, Catalyst Campaigns had built a complete campaign infrastructure—including the United Brothel Workers name, logo, visual identity, website, messaging framework, talking points, and earned media strategy. As union authorization cards were being signed and workers began facing retaliation and termination for organizing, the campaign was already equipped with a professional communications operation capable of responding in real time.
Rather than allowing the campaign to be defined solely as a story about the adult industry, Catalyst reframed it as a broader labor rights campaign centered on workplace safety, worker autonomy, fair contracts, protection from retaliation, and control over one’s own name, image, and likeness.
UnitedBrothelWorkers.org became the campaign’s digital headquarters, serving as both the campaign’s public face and organizing hub. The website gave workers a platform to tell their stories while providing supporters with opportunities to sign petitions, follow campaign developments, purchase solidarity merchandise, and take action.
Catalyst Campaigns also developed a carefully sequenced earned media strategy designed to build credibility and momentum across multiple audiences. The campaign launched with an exclusive in Nevada’s paper of record before expanding nationally through the Associated Press and Bloomberg Law. Coverage quickly spread to dozens of local, state, and national news outlets, labor and legal journals, and leading adult industry publications, transforming a workplace dispute into a national conversation about labor rights in one of America’s most stigmatized industries.
Following the launch, Catalyst Campaigns remained the campaign’s strategic communications partner, conducting ongoing research, fact-checking, message development, and media outreach while securing additional exclusive stories and interviews as the organizing effort evolved. Scott also provided media training and interview preparation for more than half a dozen worker spokespeople, preparing them to confidently engage with local, state, and national reporters while maintaining disciplined, values-based messaging.
As the campaign evolved, Catalyst used rapid-response communications to turn breaking developments into organizing opportunities. When workers were fired for union activity, supporters mobilized around reinstatement efforts. Following a violent workplace safety incident, United Brothel Workers released a five-point workplace safety plan that generated additional media coverage while reinforcing the campaign’s central message: every worker deserves a safe workplace.
Campaign Infrastructure
Catalyst Campaigns designed UnitedBrothelWorkers.org as the campaign’s organizing hub, providing workers and supporters with multiple ways to engage and take action, including:
- Messaging, branding, and visual identity
- Campaign website and online store
- Online petition and supporter acquisition
- Comprehensive media center featuring press releases and earned media coverage
Catalyst Campaigns also provided:
- Press training and interview preparation for worker spokespeople
- Strategic research, fact-checking, and message development
- Campaign merchandise and fundraising support
- Social media and email engagement strategies
- Community outreach and coalition-building support
Outcome
Catalyst Campaigns helped transform an emergency workplace organizing effort into one of the most visible labor organizing campaigns in the legal sex industry.
Within a week, workers had a professional brand, organizing website, coalition support, and a national communications strategy. The campaign went on to generate dozens of stories across mainstream, legal, labor, and industry media, transforming a local organizing drive into a national conversation about worker rights and workplace safety.
While negotiations continue, the campaign has fundamentally changed the conversation around labor organizing in Nevada’s legal brothel industry. By turning a highly stigmatized issue into a mainstream labor rights story, Catalyst Campaigns helped ensure workers’ concerns remain part of the public debate while building sustained support for a fair contract and safer workplace.
Highlights
- Campaign conceived, branded, and publicly launched in less than one week.
- Connected workers with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and helped establish the communications framework for America’s first brothel workers’ union.
- Created the United Brothel Workers name, logo, visual identity, messaging framework, website, and earned media strategy.
- Executed a four-part exclusive launch with The Nevada Independent before expanding nationally through the Associated Press , Bloomberg Law, and AVN, the adult industry’s leading publication..
- Generated dozens of earned media placements across local, state, and national news outlets, labor and legal journals, and leading adult industry publications.
- Managed ongoing strategic communications, research, fact-checking, and media relations, securing additional exclusive coverage throughout the organizing campaign with outlets including Mashable, Playboy, and Las Vegas Weekly
- Media-trained more than half a dozen worker spokespeople for interviews with local, state, and national news organizations.
- Built a comprehensive digital organizing platform integrating petitions, earned media, supporter engagement, merchandise, coalition building, and rapid-response communications.
- Elevated workplace safety, retaliation, power-of-attorney provisions, and worker control over name, image, and likeness into the national labor conversation..
Services Provided
Branding & Messaging • Campaign Strategy • Coalition Building • Digital Mobilization • Earned Media • Media Training • Merchandise & Supporter Engagement • Organizational Development • Rapid Response • Research & Fact-Checking • Strategic Communications • Website Development