Statement of Values

Ottawa Independent Companions' Statement of Values was created collaboratively by the founding members of OIC and is always open for discussion and changes by our members as we grow, progress and evolve as a collective. All members must wholeheartedly agree to abide by the following:

1. Behave respectfully and conscientiously in our interactions with each other.
2. Strive to support one another, reduce isolation, share information, share resources, and work collaboratively on issues that affect our day-to-day working lives.
3. Encourage diversity in all forms within the collective (race, background, gender identity, ability, etc)
4. In our advertising and provision of services we do not discriminate on the basis of race.
5. Respect confidentiality, privacy, and discretion as being vital for all members of this collective and our clients.
6. Respect the autonomy that every provider has over their own brand, work, and protocols.
7. Recognize that OIC goes beyond an advertising platform. The advertising platform is a secondary benefit to OIC members, but not our primary goal as a collective.
8. Ottawa-based members should participate in on-going conversations about the direction of the collective, checking in on our members-only platform regularly to stay up-to-date on collective matters.
9. We stand in solidarity with other sex workers and do not publicly shame, humiliate, or comment negatively on the business practices of other providers in semi-private or public forums. For example, we do not post negatively about a member, or non-member's website, photos, appearance, attitude, marketing, etc.
10. We freely give references to other members and non-members in the name of safety, regardless of our personal feelings for them, and we do not exhibit possessiveness or jealousy about our clients when they see other providers.

Yes, I have read & agree with OIC's Statement of Values.

Member Requirements & Guidelines

Requirements:

1. Regular engagement on Slack by participating at least once a month in an interactive manner, based on their capacity to do so.
2. Promptly provide references to other OIC members when requested.
3. Conduct oneself with respect and conscientiousness in all interactions, as outlined in the Statement of Values.
4. Strive for diversity and inclusivity in all collective activities and communications.
5. Uphold confidentiality, privacy, and discretion of all OIC members and clients.
6. Maintain honesty and truthfulness when discussing OIC affairs at all times.
7. Adhere to all relevant organizational policies, procedures and the Statement of Values.
8. Any information pertaining to the OIC of negative sentiment should be promptly reported to the Policies Committee.
9. Demonstrate accountability by promptly addressing any issues or conflicts within the collective in accordance with established conflict resolution procedures.
10. Designate members who are not in conflict to resolve other committee conflicts.
11. Represent the collective professionally in all interactions and communications, both internally and externally.

Guidelines:

1. Attend scheduled meetings and events held by OIC committees and sub committees.
2. Respond to communications from OIC members, committees, subcommittees and clients in a timely manner.
3. Actively contribute ideas and suggestions for the improvement of OIC initiatives.
4. Report any conflicts of interest or ethical concerns to appropriate channels, committees and subcommittees.
5. Continuously strive to represent the organization positively in all interactions.
6. Complete assigned tasks and responsibilities with diligence and accuracy to the best of your ability.
7. Seek feedback and/or provide support with peers to enhance performance, connection & growth.
8. For those willing and have the space available, consider adding ‘Member of @OICompanions’ to your Twitter bio to aid in promoting the collective.
9. Volunteer your time and ideas to the collective, actively contributing to our success in ways that align with your strengths and preferences.
10. Take part in fundraising endeavors by engaging with Twitter posts when OIC initiates a crowdfunding campaign to support a member in urgent need of financial assistance. You can participate by engaging, retweeting, or donating as you see fit.
11. Contribute donations as you are able whenever the collective requires financial support to cover operational expenses and ensure its continued functionality.
12. Foster an environment of kindness and forgiveness towards committee members and volunteers. Recognize that everyone is doing their best and that we can only improve by being courteous, constructive and patient with one another.
13. Engage in constructive feedback sessions with fellow members to foster growth and improvement within the collective.
14. Regularly evaluate collective processes and activities, seeking feedback from members and implementing improvements continuously where necessary.
15. We encourage active promotion of the collective and its members within our professional network, such as:

• Boosting engagement on Twitter by engaging with posts from 10 members of the Ottawa OIC at least once a month.
• Engaging in ongoing networking and relationship-building efforts to expand the collective’s reach and impact within the community.

Yes, I have read & agree with the OIC's Member Requirements & Guidelines.

Independence & Third Parties

Purpose:

To set clear guidelines for OIC members and to remove any confusion surrounding the issue of OIC members working with or renting incall space from Spas, Clubs, Agencies or other Third Parties. 

Expectations of Current OIC Members:

1. In order to promote and uphold the values set forth by OIC we require that all members operate under an independent persona while representing themselves as a member of OIC, and while being advertised as a member of the OIC. 
2. If a member chooses to work under a third party, is advertised by a third party via social media and ad sites, or a third party’s website, while still a member of OIC, we require the member to create a separate sex work persona. 
3. This separate persona must not affiliate itself with OIC, its name(s), brand, logo, website or its social media.
4. This separate persona must not be affiliated with the provider’s independent persona. 
5.  The provider’s independent persona must not be affiliated with or advertised by the third party. 
6. The provider should keep both personas separate in all their marketing and advertisement in order to not create conflict or confusion. (Separate social media accounts, websites and ads) There should be no crossover between these two personas. This includes but is not limited to:
   a.) Tagging, re-posting or linking to your alternate persona from either persona.
7. OIC members should review and abide by the OIC Media Policy 

Independent OIC Members Renting Incall Space From Third Parties: 

OIC understands and empathizes with the struggle many members face in securing safe and reliable incall spaces.

The OIC does not restrict its members from renting out incall spaces that are available from Spas or Agencies, however; members who do so under their Independent persona must abide by the following conditions to avoid any conflicts. 

1. The independent member must not advertise their use of the third party’s incall space by name.
   Example: “Come see me a X spa tonight for incall dates.”
   Instead Use: “Incall availability tonight, please contact to book.”
2. The independent member must not be advertised by the third party under their independent persona in any context. 

Non Independent Providers: 

For providers who are associated with or represented by a third party and have not yet transition to fully independent, the OIC has set out the following guidelines: 

1. These providers have established or have begun to establish an independent persona before requesting to join the OIC.
2. These providers have the intention to fully transition to independent providers before requesting to join the OIC.
3. The OIC will not allow new members to join as independent members unless their ties to the third party have been severed. (Ie. the provider has been removed from all third party advertising/websites/social media and have adjusted their own marketing to reflect they are now working independently.)

Yes, I have read & agree with the OIC's policy on Independence & Third Parties.