Strippers File Labor Lawsuit Against Club Owners
A strip club in San Jose, California is currently getting some unusual attention in the form of a labor lawsuit from unhappy former dancers. Though strip clubs may be used to scrutiny from authorities, it isn’t everyday that you hear about a group of exotic dancers suing over wage-and-hour issues. The claim against the Pink Poodle strip club claims that dancers were not paid minimum wage or overtime as required under California labor law.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of 11 former dancers who got together and decided to sue after they say they experienced a host of labor law violations. For one thing, the women say they were treated as independent contractors by the club when they were actually employees. As a result of their improper status, they were denied minimum wage and overtime, which they should have received as employees. Additionally, the improper classification as independent contractors meant that the women were denied employee benefits such as health insurance.
In some cases, the women say that the club owners forced women to pay fees for the privilege of dancing, known as “bar fees.” If the women objected or asked to leave, the owners would allegedly threaten to retaliate and prevent them from dancing elsewhere.
Though it may seem unusual for exotic dancers to file suit against strip clubs over things like overtime pay, the lawsuit is far from the first of its kind. Just last year, another strip club in California was forced to settle a labor lawsuit that had been filed against it for $8 million to cover unpaid back wages. In 2012, another club settled with former dancers for $12.9 million over similar wage-and-hour matters. Most recently, a claim by dancers in Atlanta, GA received attention after claims were made that the dancers were occasionally not paid any wages at all, let alone the federal minimum wage to which they felt they were entitled.
The lawsuits all hit on the same theme, that employers and club owners try and wrongly classify exotic dancers as independent contractors when, in reality, they are employees. This misclassification allows the clubs to get away with not paying minimum wages, overtime or providing employee benefits, saving them hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The women rightly point out that they abide by specific work schedules with clear shifts. Additionally, they are required to comply with certain rules regarding dancing, attire and prices for dances. Dancers are also often required to attend mandatory weekly meetings to discuss scheduling and other employment matters, time that they are rarely if ever compensated for. Given the abundance of strict rules, the women argue that they should be viewed as employees, not independent contractors. If a judge agrees, the Pink Poodle could find itself paying out millions to settle the claim.
Source: Exotic Dancers Bring California Labor Lawsuit, by Heidi Turner, published at LawyersandSettlements.com. on May 26, 2014
Source: Former Dancers Sue Pink Poodle Strip Club Over Wages, by Bruce Newman, published at MercuryNews.com. on April 30, 2014
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