Across the country, strip club dancers are suing their employer over wages. And they’re winning.
There are plenty of professions where employees face wage concerns. Tipped positions are often at the top of the list, and dancers at these clubs are often susceptible because of the work they do.
Wage laws exist to protect all employees, and these cases of dancers suing clubs shows what happens when employees take on their employer.
The Baltimore Sun reports that dancers from San Diego to New York have been suing strip club owners. In many instances, the dancers are considered independent contractors whose wages are dependent solely on tips. The dancers fought this claim, arguing they are employees who deserve a wage.
Courts are siding with the dancers.
Here in New York, 2,000 dancers were awarded $10.9 million in a class-action lawsuit against a club. The basic argument in these cases is that the dancers are employees who deserve a base pay, like waiters and waitresses.
Many of the women dancing at the clubs work long hours, and without a base wage they aren’t being guaranteed any pay. Owners are making money off the dancers, and the dancers responsible for collecting their own wages through tips.
These cases show why laws protecting employees are so important. This is especially true for an industry where the workers may be marginalized.
People should be paid for the work they do. These cases show what happens when employees take action to collect what they deserve.
