Posts tagged Star Garden
After unionized strippers accused club owner of violating deal, federal labor board intervenes
April 1, 2024 // Star Garden reopened in August, after a 15-month tussle during which club management fired more than a dozen dancers, contested the results of a union election held by strippers, filed for bankruptcy and closed its doors. Soon after Star Garden reopened, dancers told The Times that drink prices had ratcheted up, the bar had gone cashless and removed its ATM and management was discouraging customers from tipping with cash. Dancers accused Star Garden management of introducing arbitrary rules and implementing high drink prices and cover fees in bad faith in an effort to deter customers, demoralize dancers and weaken resolve in contract negotiations. Union attorneys filed multiple unfair labor practice charges with the NLRB alleging club owners were engaging in bad faith bargaining and arbitrarily disciplining employees, among other claims.
Unionized strippers on strike through Saturday in North Hollywood
December 11, 2023 // Lawyers for the Actors’ Equity Association, which represents the Star Garden strippers, say they’ve filed multiple charges with the National Labor Relations Board over the club’s alleged interference with employees’ ability to earn cash tips. The union also alleges disciplinary actions were taken against dancers contrary to the club’s longstanding policies and that the club owner has refused entry to some union supporters and charged others higher fees.
Portland strippers vote to unionize, could get official recognition later this week
September 15, 2023 // Across the country, there’s been a wave in recent years of workers in industries like food service and manufacturing demanding better pay and benefits, voting to unionize or going on strike to compel management to address their concerns. But last week when Creature and 15 other Magic Tavern dancers unanimously voted to unionize, they became just the second active group of strippers in the country — and the only one in Oregon — to do so. The Actors’ Equity Association, which represents the strippers, expects the National Labor Relations Board to certify the vote by the end of the week. A spokesperson for the NLRB said in an email that if the results are certified, Magic Tavern must bargain in good faith with the union.
LA strip club becomes only in the US to unionize
May 17, 2023 // “If you have been following our journey, then you know this has been a long, exhausting fight, which is why this victory is so sweet,” Reagan, one of the Star Garden dancers, said in a statement. “We put everything we have into this campaign, and we were fortunate to have the support and solidarity from the club’s patrons, our allies and friends, the labor movement and our union, Actors’ Equity Association.” Star Garden Topless Dive Bar’s dancers will be the first to be represented by AEA, a national labor union that represents more than 51,000 actors and stage managers in live entertainment.
Strippers bid to unionize in Los Angeles
August 19, 2022 // "We like what we do," said Velveeta, a Star Garden dancer. "We would like our jobs even more if we had basic worker protections." Equity already represents over 51,000 performers and stage managers across the United States, many of them in and around Los Angeles. "Strippers are live entertainers, and while some aspects of their job are unique, they have much in common with other Equity members who dance for a living," said Actors’ Equity Association President Kate Shindle.
Strippers are helping fuel the spike in US unionizing efforts
August 8, 2022 // More than a dozen of the club's dancers say they've been locked out for four-plus months because they petitioned the owners to reinstate two of their fired colleagues, improve security and safety measures, and recognize their right to form a union. US strippers haven't successfully unionized since the effort at San Francisco's Lusty Lady in the 1990s, but the Star Garden workers are trying anyway — and they're doing so in an environment where more American workers are leveraging their own power. Christian Sweeney,
Sunday Reading: LA Strip Club Dancers Fight For a Union
July 11, 2022 // The story follows a group of dancers employed at the Star Garden, a strip club in North Hollywood, who staged a walkout and launched a campaign to unionize.
Strippers Turn to Unions After Litigation, Legislation Falter
June 3, 2022 // Ryan Carlson, CEO of Deja Vu Services Inc.—one of the largest strip club operators in the US—said seven of his clubs in California became unprofitable and were forced to close after being required to classify dancers as employees. Dancers at the remaining clubs only get part-time shifts, he said.