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Business

McDonald’s hit with $250m wage theft claim over rest break entitlements

McDonald's hit with $250m wage theft claim over rest break entitlements

McDonald’s has been hit with a mammoth wage theft case over allegations more than 250,000 current and former workers were denied rest breaks.

The Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) announced Friday it had lodged a “mega” federal court claim against 328 McDonald’s operators and the fast food giant itself over the alleged denial of paid rest breaks at nearly 1000 current and former restaurants.

The union, which has some 15 existing federal court claims against McDonald’s and its franchisees, said it was seeking $250 million in compensation plus penalties in one of the biggest wage theft claims of its kind in the country’s history, capturing more than 1.8 per cent of working Australians.

Under the Fast Food Award, all McDonald’s workers are entitled to an uninterrupted 10-minute break when working four hours or more. The SDA alleges that not only were employees not informed of their rest break entitlements, but they were also told breaks could be exchanged for a free soft drink or going to the toilet.

The union alleges that the conduct was systematic and deliberate and that McDonald’s Australia aided and abetted franchisees in the practice.

“The SDA has sought to fix this issue with McDonald’s and they’ve refused to resolve it, let alone admit any wrongdoing,” SDA secretary Gerard Dwyer said in a statement.

“As one of the largest employers of young people in Australia, McDonald’s shouldn’t have to be dragged through the Federal Court for workers to receive their most basic entitlements.

“Across their restaurants, McDonald’s demands consistency. They make sure each restaurant can put two beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun. It’s simply not believable that these breaks weren’t denied on purpose.

“Just because McDonald’s is a multinational, multi-billion-dollar fast food behemoth doesn’t mean they can pick and choose which laws to follow. McDonald’s has the capacity and a responsibility to ensure they’re giving workers all of their entitlements.

“These federal court claims are not just about compensation and penalizing McDonald’s, it’s about sending a clear message that this systematic exploitation of young workers will not be tolerated. We won’t stop calling out these exploitative behaviors until McDonald’s cleans up their act and compensates workers.”

The SDA is seeking thousands of dollars in compensation for workers who did not receive their legal break entitlements and is asking the court to penalize 400 employers who have operated McDonald’s sites in the past six years.

The union says the $250 million figure is a “conservative estimate”.

McDonald’s has more than 970 restaurants in Australia and employs more than 100,000 people.

The SDA’s existing federal court actions are against McDonald’s Australia and 14 franchisees, spanning 196 sites.

According to the union, more than 10,000 workers have assisted in its investigations into McDonald’s work conditions.

In a statement, a McDonald’s Australia spokeswoman the company “intends to fully defend the claim”.

“McDonald’s believes its restaurants complied with applicable instruments, provided rest breaks to employees and were consistent with historic working arrangements,” she said.

“Those arrangements have been known to the SDA for many years. The manner of taking breaks has not been challenged or raised by the SDA as a matter of concern throughout successive enterprise bargaining processes for new industrial agreements.

“We are very mindful of our obligations under applicable employment laws, including the former enterprise agreement and the Fast Food Industry Award, and continue to work closely with our restaurants to ensure employees receive all correct workplace entitlements and pay.

“We value our employees highly and the great contribution they make to the success of the business.”

[email protected]

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Categories
US

Brittney Griner trial: Verdict expected Thursday

Russian prosecutors seek 9 1/2-year sentence for Griner

KHIMKI, Russia (AP) — An emotional Brittney Griner apologized in a Russian court Thursday as her drug possession trial drew to a close Thursday, and a prosecutor urged that the American basketball star be convicted and sentenced to 9 1/2 years in prison in a case that reached the highest levels of US-Russia diplomacy.

With a judge set to issue an unusually swift verdict later in the day and a conviction all but certain, Griner made a final appeal to the court. She said she had no intention to break the law by bringing vape cartridges with cannabis oil when she flew to Moscow in February to play basketball in the city of Yekaterinburg.

“I want to apologize to my teammates, my club, my fans and the city of (Yekaterinburg) for my mistake that I made and the embarrassment that I brought on them,” Griner said, her voice cracking. “I want to also apologize to my parents, my siblings, the Phoenix Mercury organization back at home, the amazing women of the WNBA, and my amazing spouse back at home.”

Under Russian law, the 31-year-old Griner faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. but judges have considerable latitude on sentencing.

If she does not go free, attention will turn to the high-stakes possibility of a prisoner swap, which was proposed last week by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to his Russian counterpart.

She said she made “an honest mistake,” adding: “hope in your ruling it does not end my life.”

Griner said Yekaterinburg, a city east of the Ural Mountains, had become her “second home.”

“I had no idea that the team, the cities, the fans, my teammates would make such a great impression on me over the six and a half years that I spent here,” she said. “I remember vividly coming out of the gym and all the little girls that were in the stands there waiting on me, and that’s what kept making me come back here.”

Lawyers for the Phoenix Mercury center and two-time Olympic gold medalist have pursued strategies to bolster Griner’s contention that she had no criminal intent and that the canisters ended up in her luggage due to hasty packing. They have presented character witnesses from the Russian team that she plays for in the WNBA offseason and written testimony from a doctor who said he prescribed her cannabis for pain treatment.

Griner lawyer Maria Blagovolina argued that Griner brought the cartridges with her to Russia inadvertently and only used cannabis to treat her pain from injuries sustained in her career. She said she used it only in Arizona, where medical marijuana is legal.

She emphasized that Griner was packing in haste after a grueling flight and suffering from the consequences of COVID-19. Blagovolina also pointed out that the analysis of cannabis found in Griner’s possession was flawed and violated legal procedures.

Blagovolina asked the court to acquit Griner, noting that she had no past criminal record and hailing her role in “the development of Russian basketball.”

Another defense attorney, Alexander Boykov, also emphasized Griner’s role in taking her Yekaterinburg team to win multiple championships, noting that she was loved and admired by her teammates.

He told the judge that a conviction would undermine Russia’s efforts to develop national sports and make Moscow’s call to depoliticize sports sound shallow.

Boykov added that even after her arrest, Griner won the sympathy of both her guards and prison inmates, who supported her by shouting, “Brittney, everything will be OK!” when she went on walks at the jail.

Prosecutor Nikolai Vlasenko insisted that Griner packed the cannabis oil deliberately, and he asked the court to hand Briner a fine of 1 million rubles (about $16,700) in addition to the prison sentence.

If she does not go free, attention will turn to the high-stakes possibility of a prisoner swap.

Before her trial began in July, the State Department designated her as “wrongfully detained,” moving her case under the supervision of its special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, effectively the government’s chief hostage negotiator.

Then last week, in an extraordinary moveBlinken spoke to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, urging him to accept a deal under which Griner and Paul Whelan, an American imprisoned in Russia on an espionage conviction, would go free.

The Lavrov-Blinken call marked the highest-level known contact between Washington and Moscow since Russia sent troops into Ukraine more than five months ago. The direct outreach over Griner is at odds with US efforts to isolate the Kremlin.

People familiar with the proposal say it envisions trading Griner and Whelan for the notorious arms trader Viktor Bout, who is serving a prison sentence in the United States. It underlines the public pressure that the White House has faced to get Griner released.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday that Russia has made a “bad faith” response to the US government’s offer, a counteroffer that American officials don’t regard as serious. She declined to elaborate.

Russian officials have scoffed at US statements about the case, saying they show a disrespect for Russian law. They remained poker-faced, urging Washington to discuss the issue through “quiet diplomacy without releases of speculative information.”

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Categories
US

Russian prosecutors seek 9 1/2-year sentence for Griner

Russian prosecutors seek 9 1/2-year sentence for Griner

KHIMKI, Russia (AP) — Prosecutors asked a Russian court Thursday to convict American basketball star Brittney Griner and sentence her to 9 1/2 years in prison at closing arguments in her drug possession trial.

The trial neared its end nearly six months after Griner’s arrest at a Moscow airport in a case that has reached the highest levels of US-Russia diplomacy, with Washington proposing a prisoner exchange. Under Russian law, the 31-year-old Griner faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Although a conviction is all but certain, given that Russian courts rarely acquit defendants and Griner have admitted to having vape cartridges with cannabis oil in her luggage, judges have considerable latitude on sentencing.

Lawyers for the Phoenix Mercury center and two-time Olympic gold medalist have pursued strategies to bolster Griner’s contention that she had no criminal intent and that the canisters ended up in her luggage due to hasty packing. They have presented character witnesses from the Russian team that she plays for in the WNBA offseason and written testimony from a doctor who said he prescribed her cannabis for pain treatment.

Griner lawyer Maria Blagovolina argued that Griner brought the cartridges with her to Russia inadvertently and only used cannabis to treat her pain from injuries sustained in her career. She said she used it only in Arizona, where medical marijuana is legal.

She emphasized that Griner was packing in haste after a grueling flight and suffering from the consequences of COVID-19. Blagovolina also pointed out that the analysis of cannabis found in Griner’s possession was flawed and violated legal procedures.

Blagovolina asked the court to acquit Griner, noting that she had no past criminal record and hailing her role in “the development of Russian basketball.”

Another defense attorney, Alexander Boykov, also emphasized Griner’s role in taking her Yekaterinburg team to win multiple championships, noting that she was loved and admired by her teammates.

He told the judge that a conviction would undermine Russia’s efforts to develop national sports and make Moscow’s call to depoliticize sports sound shallow.

Boykov added that even after her arrest, Griner won the sympathy of both her guards and prison inmates, who supported her by shouting, “Brittney, everything will be OK!” when she went on walks at the jail.

Prosecutor Nikolai Vlasenko insisted that Griner packed the cannabis oil deliberately, and he asked the court to hand Briner a fine of 1 million rubles (about $16,700) in addition to the prison sentence.

It’s not clear when the verdict will be announced. If she does not go free, attention will turn to the high-stakes possibility of a prisoner swap.

Before her trial began in July, the State Department designated her as “wrongfully detained,” moving her case under the supervision of its special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, effectively the government’s chief hostage negotiator.

Then last week, in an extraordinary moveUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, urging him to accept a deal under which Griner and Paul Whelan, an American imprisoned in Russia on an espionage conviction, would go free.

The Lavrov-Blinken call marked the highest-level known contact between Washington and Moscow since Russia sent troops into Ukraine more than five months ago. The direct outreach over Griner is at odds with US efforts to isolate the Kremlin.

People familiar with the proposal say it envisions trading Griner and Whelan for the notorious arms trader Viktor Bout, who is serving a prison sentence in the United States. It underlines the public pressure that the White House has faced to get Griner released.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday that Russia has made a “bad faith” response to the US government’s offer, a counteroffer that American officials don’t regard as serious. She declined to elaborate.

Russian officials have scoffed at US statements about the case, saying they show a disrespect for Russian law. They remained poker-faced, urging Washington to discuss the issue through “quiet diplomacy without releases of speculative information.”

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Categories
US

US says Russia aims to manufacture evidence in prison deaths

US says Russia aims to manufacture evidence in prison deaths

WASHINGTON (AP) — US officials believe Russia is working to fabricate evidence concerning last week’s deadly strike on prison housing prisoners of war in a separatist region of eastern Ukraine.

US intelligence officials have determined that Russia is looking to plant false evidence to make it appear that Ukrainian forces were responsible for the July 29 attack on Olenivka Prison that left 53 dead and wounded dozens more, a US official familiar with the intelligence finding told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Russia has claimed that Ukraine’s military used US-supplied rocket launchers to strike the prison in Olenivka, a settlement controlled by the Moscow-backed Donetsk People’s Republic.

The Ukrainian military denied making any rocket or artillery strikes in Olenivka. The intelligence arm of the Ukrainian defense ministry claimed in a statement Wednesday to have evidence that local Kremlin-backed separatists colluded with the Russian FSB, the KGB’s main successor agency, and mercenary group Wagner to mine the barrack before “using a flammable substance, which led to the rapid spread of fire in the room.”

The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the classified intelligence — which was recently downgraded — shows that Russian officials might even plant ammunition from medium-ranged High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, as evidence that the systems provided by the US to Ukraine were used in the attack.

Russia is expected to take the action as it anticipates independent investigators and journalists eventually getting access to Olenivka, the official added.

Ukraine has effectively used HIMARS launchers, which fire medium-range rockets and can be quickly moved before Russia can target them with return fire, and have been seeking more launchers from the United States.

Earlier Wednesday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he is appointing a fact-finding mission in response to requests from Russia and Ukraine to investigate the killings at the prison.

Guterres told reporters he doesn’t have authority to conduct criminal investigations but does have authority to conduct fact-finding missions. I have added that the terms of reference for a mission to Ukraine are currently being prepared and will be sent to the governments of Ukraine and Russia for approval.

The Ukrainian POWs at the Donetsk prison included troops captured during the fall of Mariupol. They spent months holed up with civilians at the giant Azovstal steel mill in the southern port city. Their resistance during a relentless Russian bombardment became a symbol of Ukrainian defiance against Russia’s aggression.

More than 2,400 soldiers from the Azov Regiment of the Ukrainian national guard and other military units gave up their fight and surrendered under orders from Ukraine’s military in May.

Scores of Ukrainian soldiers have been taken to prisons in Russian-controlled areas. Some have returned to Ukraine as part of prisoner exchanges with Russia, but other families have no idea whether their loved ones are still alive, or if they will ever come home.

—

Lederer reported from the United Nations. Associated Press writer Zeke Miller contributed to this report.

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Categories
US

Brittney Griner: Exam of substance in vape cartridges violated Russian law, defense expert says

Brittney Griner: Exam of substance in vape cartridges violated Russian law, defense expert says



CNN
—

Examination of the substance in vape cartridges WNBA star Brittney Griner’s carried in February at a Moscow airport did not comply with Russian law, a defense expert testified Tuesday as her drug-smuggling trial in Russia continues amid US efforts to negotiate a prisoner swap for her release .

Among the violations is that results of the examination do not contain the amount of THC in the substance investigators tested, Griner’s lawyer, Maria Blagovolina, said after the hearing.

“The examination does not comply with the law in terms of the completeness of the study and does not comply with the norms of the Code of Criminal Procedure,” forensic chemist Dmitry Gladyshev testified for the defense during the roughly two-hour session.

The defense also interrogated prosecution expert Alexander Korablyov, who examined Griner’s cartridges taken from her luggage.

Griner’s appearance in the Khimki city courthouse marked her seventh hearing as Russian prosecutors accuse her of trying to smuggle less than 1 gram of cannabis oil in her luggage. She has pleaded guilty to drug charges – a decision her lawyers hope will result in a less severe sentence – even as the US State Department maintains she is wrongfully detained, and she faces up to 10 years in prison.

Supporters of the two-time Olympic gold medalist and Phoenix Mercury center who plays in Russia during the WNBA offseason have called for her release over fears she is being used as a political pawn amid Russia’s war on Ukraine. US officials face immense pressure from Griner’s family, lawmakers and the professional basketball community to bring her home, and Griner wrote to President Joe Biden pleading with him to do everything in his power to facilitate her release from her.

The 31-year-old sat Tuesday inside the defendant’s cage in the courtroom. The charge d’affaires of the US embassy in Moscow, Elizabeth Rood, attended Tuesday’s hearing and afterward said the US would “continue to support Miss Griner through every step of this process and as long as it takes to bring her home to the United States safely.”

Griner’s next hearing is set for Thursday.

At trial, Griner has testified that she has a doctor’s prescription for medical cannabis and had no intention of bringing the drug into Russia. Following her arrest of her in February, she was tested for drugs and was clean, her lawyers previously said.

Amid public pressure and after months of internal debate, the Biden administration proposed a prisoner swap with Russia, offering to release a convicted Russian arms trafficker in exchange for Griner and another American detainee, Paul Whelan, people briefed on the matter have told CNN.

Russian officials countered the US offer, multiple sources familiar with the discussions have said, requesting in addition to arms dealer Viktor Bout the US also include a convicted murderer who was formerly a colonel with the Russian spy agency, Vadim Krasikov.

US officials did not accept the request as a legitimate counteroffer, the sources told CNN, in part because the proposal was sent through an informal backchannel. Krasikov’s release would also be complicated because he is in German custody.

“It’s a bad faith attempt to avoid a very serious offer and proposal that the United States has put forward and we urge Russia to take that offer seriously,” Defense Department spokesperson John Kirby told CNN, later adding, “We very much want to see Brittney and Paul come home to their families where they belong.”

Meantime, Griner’s trial carries on, with her legal team expected to continue questioning more witnesses before moving to closing arguments, during which the lawyers will elaborate on why they believe Griner’s detention was handled improperly. Closing arguments are expected in coming weeks.

Griner’s attorneys have already laid out some arguments claiming the basketball player’s detention was not handled correctly after she was arrested February 17 by personnel at the Sheremetyevo International Airport.

Her detention, search and arrest were “improper,” Alexander Boykov, one of her lawyers, said last week, noting more details would be revealed during closing arguments.

After she was stopped in the airport, Griner was made to sign documents that she did not fully understand, she testified. At first, she said, she was using Google translate on her phone from her but was later moved to another room where her phone from her was taken and she was made to sign more documents.

No lawyer was present, she testified, and her rights were not explained to her. Those rights would include access to an attorney once she was detained and the right to know what she was suspected of. Under Russian law, she should have been informed of her rights within three hours of her arrest.

In her testimony, Griner “explained to the court that she knows and respects Russian laws and never intended to break them,” Blagovolina – a partner at Rybalkin, Gortsunyan, Dyakin & Partners – said after last week’s hearing.

The detained player testified she was aware of Russian laws and had no intention of bringing the cannabis oil into the country, noting she was in a rush and “stress packing.”

Griner confirmed she has a doctor’s prescription for medical cannabis, Blagovolina said, which she uses to treat knee pain and joint inflammation.

“We continue to insist that, by indiscretion, in a hurry, she packed her suitcase and did not pay attention to the fact that substances allowed for use in the United States ended up in this suitcase and arrived in the Russian Federation,” Boykov, of Moscow Legal Center, has said.

Griner’s family, supporters and WNBA teammates continue to express messages of solidarity and hope as they wait for the conclusion of the trial and look forward to the potential of her release.

Before trial proceedings last week, the WNBA players union tweeted, “Dear BG … It’s early in Moscow. Our day is ending and yours is just beginning. Not a day, not an hour goes by that you’re not on our minds & in our hearts.”

This story has been updated with additional developments Tuesday.

correction: A prior version of this story missed Brittney Griner’s first name.

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Categories
Business

Sexy Russian ‘Crazy’ hotel near Moscow that you should avoid at all costs

Sexy Russian 'Crazy' hotel near Moscow that you should avoid at all costs

Today I was minding my own business, trawling the internet for interesting hotels when I came across the formidably named Special Hotel ‘Crazy’ on booking.com.

And I would like you to come on a wild, frightening and mind-boggling journey with me as we drink in the photos from this utterly bizarre themed hotel on the outskirts of Moscow.

(The words “kiss”, “love” and “sex” give a not-so-subtle hint as to what this room is all about. That’s right: crosswords.)

Oh wait, we have more clues. Turns out there’s a bath on a tiled roulette wheel in the other corner. It’s a Vegas-themed room I guess? Also love the curtain in the corner, for a window that is probably very much wished for, but doesn’t exist.

One of my worst nightmares is entering a hotel room to find someone “in character” in the room. As such I find many of these images rather triggering.

Oh god, no room is safe. REFUND! REFUND!

My friend from primary school had Italian grandparents and I swear their bedroom in the 1980s was the inspiration for this particular room.

It’s particularly charming how nobody quite knew where to put the television.

“I know, let’s put it right next to the very eye-catching reverse cycle airconditioning unit.”

This is either some kind of medieval inn vibe, or a ski chalet, or an Early Settler Furniture showroom.

Oh wait, no, *that* is the ski chalet.

The soccer room is very well done. Especially the way they have strung 900 lights up on the ceiling so you feel like you are in the middle of a stadium. It’s very relaxing.

I finally see what hotel rooms have been missing: A mosaic-tiled face that judges you while you’re on the toilet.

Imagine you accidentally booked this with a colleague on a work conference …

… Somebody is calling HR first thing on Monday morning.

To the right is the door you run screaming through.

Another one that is slightly difficult to nail down. Parisian brothel from a rather poor neighbourhood?

Ohhh… it could be an old-timey dress shop. Or a visual merchandising training facility.

This must be the Presidential Suite, because that room has an actual window. Doesn’t even matter what the theme is. Window! We’ll take it.

… on second thoughts.

Another thing we didn’t realize hotels had been missing until now – port holes in the bathroom so you can keep an eye on your partner at all times.

This has just the right amount of kitsch to actually work. Crank that big old oil heater up and pretend you are in the Maldives instead of on the outskirts of Moscow.

Okay what have we here? Are we in Nepal? India? In a wooden crate filled with items bound for an Ishka store?

Oh, we’re in the Karma Sutra room. Don’t look too closely at the images on the wall, children.

This must be the budget room. Geez it looks nice and peaceful.

So it seems the directions to the rooms are done in the style of an airport terminal? Don’t hate that. Points for originality.

It actually turns out, upon further investigation, that “the style of the individually decorated rooms represent different countries and cities”.

So you have the “Royal – Moscow” room, the “Inquisition – Madrid” (oh so *that’s* what that was all about), and the “Sports – London” for example.

Imagine spending a week there and traveling the world through their different themed rooms.

Pop that on your travel bucket list.

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Categories
Entertainment

Secrets of world’s most exclusive sex club Snctm revealed by performer

Secrets of world's most exclusive sex club Snctm revealed by performer

Whispers travel across the dimly-lit room that an A-list female star is among the masked guests at a top-secret Snctm sex party.

Members, who pay up to $50,000 a year to attend orgies in lavish settings, are sipping champagne and cocktails by the bar, while some are already exploring each other’s bodies, The Sun reported.

This is a regular evening at work for Haley Grace, who puts on a tantalizing display with fellow performers, and has recalled her experiences working for the elite society.

The high-end erotic arts club, which launched in 2013, has become a sexy night-life staple in cities including LA and New York, offering guests the chance to realize their wildest sexual fantasies.

Haley is a performer, model, costume designer, and producer who has been working at the club’s intimate events since last September, often held in mansions or luxury penthouses.

Her specialty acts range from fire performance, burlesque, and roller-dancing to environmental character performances. She is also a professional mermaid.

She says her shows for Snctm are “expressive, elegant, and sensual,” and dare the viewer to transcend reality and enter a world of fantasy, reminiscent of the 1999 film ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ starring Tom Cruise.

In an exclusive interview with The Sun, she said: “I first heard of Snctm through a night-life venue I perform at, and my first

time attending was actually as a guest.

“I went with a date and we had an absolutely amazing time. I went to the next event again as a guest but alone.

“It was a different experience but exciting and satisfying nonetheless.“At this point, I had gotten to know many of the people involved in making SncTM and it really made me want to be a part of the

team, so I applied to become one of their performers.

“The following event they had I was making my debut performance. I have been a XXX performer for a year now.”

She admitted: “My friends know of my role with Snctm but I have never felt the urge to make it a family discussion.

“I’m polyamorous and also perform with my main partner.

“Doing acts with him is great because the performance is really enhanced when the chemistry between two people is real and they know each other’s bodies.”

When it comes to guest relations, she said performers do interact with them by mingling and flirting to ensure they are having a good time and getting in the mood.

However, as a general rule, performers do not hook up with guests.

“I don’t have any sexual contact with guests – I only physically interact with the other XXX models that I have consented to perform with,” Haley said.

“The show is always different and so is every evening. At the last Snctm party, I did a beautiful bondage scene while being serenaded by a violinist – it was divine.”

She says the crowd of up to 100 is made up of “beautiful, wealthy people” working in everything from business and finance to the arts, including many well-known faces.

Recalling one night in New York which sticks in her mind, Haley said she rubbed shoulders with a female celebrity and the pair had a memorable conversation.

Asked if she’s ever been starstruck at Snctm, she said: “Yes, there was one time I definitely was. And I got the opportunity to talk to them for a while.

“It was an A-list female star, people like to do this in secret and be able to kind of shed their inhibitions.”

Asked if the star got involved with any fellow guests, Haley giggled and replied: “I can’t speak on that.”

Quizzed if the club still gets many big names through its doors, she said: “I’m not really the best with celebrity names and faces, but people do get excited like, ‘Oh, so and so is here’. So that’s fun.

“The organizers are very strict about people’s phones, they are taken at the door. And they have really good security.

“Consent is also the most important thing. They really do a good job of making sure that it’s like a safe space for everyone, not just celebrities.”

The parties run from around 10pm until 3pm and Snctm has also hosted events in the likes of Miami and Moscow, with actress Gwyneth Paltrow even reportedly promoting the club.

“Typically when people arrive, men are in tuxedos, and women are dressed in evening gowns with sexy lingerie underneath,” Haley said.

“They’ll go over to the bar, get a cocktail. We’ll have some more ambient performers.

“And then the night kind of progresses from there. The performances are spread out between rooms.

“We have different stage pieces. There’s a lot of attention to detail, decor, props, things of that sort, lighting, and music.

“A lot of times we’ll have live musicians. I’ve done scenes where I was also being serenaded by either a harpist or violinist, there can be a really beautiful, dark ambience.”

While many sex parties involve guests going off into private rooms to get down and dirty, Haley said Snctm is more of a “play party.”

“The point is really more to play in public,” she said. And then there are people who are fly on the wall [voyeurs].”

Guests get down to business – kissing and engaging in foreplay, in either couples or groups, while others go all the way and enjoy full sex in front of fellow members.

Haley said since events were canceled throughout the pandemic due to safety, Snctm is now more popular than ever, insisting: “We’re always packed out.”

Snctm has thrived under new ownership for the past few years and they have also welcomed a new creative director, Inka Nevala, an award-winning performance artist who also goes by Lou Lou D’vil.

Haley said the majority of her parties have been in New York, with a few in Los Angeles, and she’ll arrive at the event in the afternoon to have her hair and makeup done.

“Next, I will do a run-through and discussion with the creative director and my performance partner(s) about the scenes I’m in.

“Following that I get into costume and do a photo shoot. I usually have plenty of time to relax and socialize until getting ready for the doors to open and the real fun to begin.

“I’ll often start the evening doing a more ambient performance and then later on in the night will do the more intense sex scenes on the main stage with my partner(s).

“I’ll typically have three performative moments throughout the night.”

Haley said she’d encourage couples or single women to join Snctm, describing it as a “sexual oasis” and ”a unique experience.”

She added: “If you are a sexually open-minded person, or want to open up more, it’s a great way to find like minds and try new things.

“The feedback I get from guests is really positive. A lot of first-timers have expressed to me that they were surprised with how open and inspired they felt being there.”

This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced with permission

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Categories
Entertainment

Secrets of world’s most exclusive sex club Snctm revealed by performer

Secrets of world's most exclusive sex club Snctm revealed by performer

Whispers travel across the dimly-lit room that an A-list female star is among the masked guests at a top-secret Snctm sex party.

Members, who pay up to $50,000 a year to attend orgies in lavish settings, are sipping champagne and cocktails by the bar, while some are already exploring each other’s bodies, The Sun reported.

This is a regular evening at work for Haley Grace, who puts on a tantalizing display with fellow performers, and has recalled her experiences working for the elite society.

The high-end erotic arts club, which launched in 2013, has become a sexy night-life staple in cities including LA and New York, offering guests the chance to realize their wildest sexual fantasies.

Haley is a performer, model, costume designer, and producer who has been working at the club’s intimate events since last September, often held in mansions or luxury penthouses.

Her specialty acts range from fire performance, burlesque, and roller-dancing to environmental character performances. She is also a professional mermaid.

She says her shows for Snctm are “expressive, elegant, and sensual,” and dare the viewer to transcend reality and enter a world of fantasy, reminiscent of the 1999 film ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ starring Tom Cruise.

In an exclusive interview with The Sun, she said: “I first heard of Snctm through a night-life venue I perform at, and my first

time attending was actually as a guest.

“I went with a date and we had an absolutely amazing time. I went to the next event again as a guest but alone.

“It was a different experience but exciting and satisfying nonetheless.“At this point, I had gotten to know many of the people involved in making SncTM and it really made me want to be a part of the

team, so I applied to become one of their performers.

“The following event they had I was making my debut performance. I have been a XXX performer for a year now.”

She admitted: “My friends know of my role with Snctm but I have never felt the urge to make it a family discussion.

“I’m polyamorous and also perform with my main partner.

“Doing acts with him is great because the performance is really enhanced when the chemistry between two people is real and they know each other’s bodies.”

When it comes to guest relations, she said performers do interact with them by mingling and flirting to ensure they are having a good time and getting in the mood.

However, as a general rule, performers do not hook up with guests.

“I don’t have any sexual contact with guests – I only physically interact with the other XXX models that I have consented to perform with,” Haley said.

“The show is always different and so is every evening. At the last Snctm party, I did a beautiful bondage scene while being serenaded by a violinist – it was divine.”

She says the crowd of up to 100 is made up of “beautiful, wealthy people” working in everything from business and finance to the arts, including many well-known faces.

Recalling one night in New York which sticks in her mind, Haley said she rubbed shoulders with a female celebrity and the pair had a memorable conversation.

Asked if she’s ever been starstruck at Snctm, she said: “Yes, there was one time I definitely was. And I got the opportunity to talk to them for a while.

“It was an A-list female star, people like to do this in secret and be able to kind of shed their inhibitions.”

Asked if the star got involved with any fellow guests, Haley giggled and replied: “I can’t speak on that.”

Quizzed if the club still gets many big names through its doors, she said: “I’m not really the best with celebrity names and faces, but people do get excited like, ‘Oh, so and so is here’. So that’s fun.

“The organizers are very strict about people’s phones, they are taken at the door. And they have really good security.

“Consent is also the most important thing. They really do a good job of making sure that it’s like a safe space for everyone, not just celebrities.”

The parties run from around 10pm until 3pm and Snctm has also hosted events in the likes of Miami and Moscow, with actress Gwyneth Paltrow even reportedly promoting the club.

“Typically when people arrive, men are in tuxedos, and women are dressed in evening gowns with sexy lingerie underneath,” Haley said.

“They’ll go over to the bar, get a cocktail. We’ll have some more ambient performers.

“And then the night kind of progresses from there. The performances are spread out between rooms.

“We have different stage pieces. There’s a lot of attention to detail, decor, props, things of that sort, lighting, and music.

“A lot of times we’ll have live musicians. I’ve done scenes where I was also being serenaded by either a harpist or violinist, there can be a really beautiful, dark ambience.”

While many sex parties involve guests going off into private rooms to get down and dirty, Haley said Snctm is more of a “play party.”

“The point is really more to play in public,” she said. And then there are people who are fly on the wall [voyeurs].”

Guests get down to business – kissing and engaging in foreplay, in either couples or groups, while others go all the way and enjoy full sex in front of fellow members.

Haley said since events were canceled throughout the pandemic due to safety, Snctm is now more popular than ever, insisting: “We’re always packed out.”

Snctm has thrived under new ownership for the past few years and they have also welcomed a new creative director, Inka Nevala, an award-winning performance artist who also goes by Lou Lou D’vil.

Haley said the majority of her parties have been in New York, with a few in Los Angeles, and she’ll arrive at the event in the afternoon to have her hair and makeup done.

“Next, I will do a run-through and discussion with the creative director and my performance partner(s) about the scenes I’m in.

“Following that I get into costume and do a photo shoot. I usually have plenty of time to relax and socialize until getting ready for the doors to open and the real fun to begin.

“I’ll often start the evening doing a more ambient performance and then later on in the night will do the more intense sex scenes on the main stage with my partner(s).

“I’ll typically have three performative moments throughout the night.”

Haley said she’d encourage couples or single women to join Snctm, describing it as a “sexual oasis” and ”a unique experience.”

She added: “If you are a sexually open-minded person, or want to open up more, it’s a great way to find like minds and try new things.

“The feedback I get from guests is really positive. A lot of first-timers have expressed to me that they were surprised with how open and inspired they felt being there.”

This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced with permission

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