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Hello Everyone,

Below is a link for an article that came out in the local paper this past weekend. Although this article is about what's happening in Layfatte, CA, it's also occuring in Concord and Pleasant HIll, (neighboring communities), at an alarming rate of 2 - 3 new shops a week. Some with banners in front offering massage for $15 - $20 per hour. A local Concord Chiropractor had brought this problem to my attention a couple of days before, explaining that within 6 months he had gone from 5 CMT's down to one. Although I'm here in Martinez just N of Concord and PH, my business has also been adversely affected.

So I have been inspired to do somthing about it. I am starting a coaltion of local CMT's to counteract this Cancer on our profession. My ideas are to use media in it's many forms to bring awarness to the problem while highlighting our legitimacy. In addition have an influence on current local regulations to make it easer for legitimate practitioners to get started while making it more difficult for the illegal shops to open.

I have already made contact with Layfatte personal who were open to my suggestions. My thoughts were to replace existing legislation with a requirement that every therapist working within city limits be certified by the CAMTC and maintain Professional Liability Insurance. I was then asked about what happens after they open. My suggestion was to then require the owner of the business to maintain a list of all employees or independant contractors with their state certification #'s on file.

If you are interested in joining the cause or have been dealing with similar problems, please feal free to contact me. All comments welcomed,

Joseph

http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_19974016?IADID=Search-www.contra...

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Comment by Joseph W Palmer on February 24, 2012 at 10:02pm: First off thank you for your insights.

Your right that is exactly what I suspected and am afraid of. They seem to be moving east out of Oakland and SF. These shops seem to fall into two types, those as you describe using slave labor for legit massages and the others that offer "Happy Endings". The article refers to at least two of the shops in Layfette providing the latter.

As for opening up a shop, it should be as easy as you describe but since CAMTC certification is voluntary, not all of the municipalities have adopted it. In fact some still require "VD" checks. On top of that Layaffete, (which the article was about), doesn't even have a business licence requirement.

So what I want to do is create uniform regs for all of the surrounding communities requiring CAMTC certification and proof of Professional Liability Insurance per therapist individually and a prominently displayed record of all therapists working at a facility with their certification #'s. This would allow us to utilize our contacts to self police and only report to authorties when we have proof.

None of what I have suggested above should be a problem for those of us who are legit. We have all gone though the process and want to display our accomplishments so I wouldn't think that there would be any resistance to the idea.

Your thoughts?

Comment by Daniel Cohen on February 23, 2012 at 9:55pm: By the way, nothing fly by night about them. The owners often own 4 or 5 of these places and haven't seen one close yet. As for making it easy to open, what is easier than filling out a form and opening your shop. It is that easy if you are CAMTC certified.

Comment by Daniel Cohen on February 23, 2012 at 9:52pm: So what is you evidence that these are "illegal"? I am familiar with these places and how they operate in the USA as if they were in China. The Therapists work long hours with few days off and usually only making tips. Clearly a violation of IRS & wage & hour laws. In fact they can't even get away with this in China, so they come here where the government is hamstrung by the courts. Unless you have hard evidence to submit the government will not expend the cost of investigation based on hearsay.