HarmonySlinks

Here's my take on it all... Clubs want to keep IC status because that rids them of any responsibility and puts it all on the dancer. I would be fine with this, if all clubs truly treated dancers independently. Unfortunately, house fee's, schedule requirements, no freedom to set our own prices, etc... that is not a true independent contractor. I see their reasoning in wanting IC status.. clubs would likely run amok if they allowed true independence of our work. But they must treat us true to the status because freedom is the sole benefit of being IC. On the other hand, when litigation started to get hot, the club owners got pissed about being forced to be genuine to the law and punished the dancers. The club owners have been comfy for decades, they don't want that change. Dancers have become too willing to accept the mistreatment and call it a standard to working in a "risky" "unorthodox" industry. It doesn't need to be that way. It can be fair. The owners just need to give up either their control of our work, or not make a fortune off our backs.

Nicespice, I def need to travel soon! I am in bum ass Nebraska. It's a terrible breeding ground for exploitation and small minded cooperation with it.

I am kinda bummed to hear that clubs are still mandating tip outs. Like, wtf, am I actually becoming a law nazi?! Lol Non-tipped employee's should stay that way. Tip money is always for the worker. Think about restaurants: even when there is a tip sharing structure, all servers share their tips. You can't just toss in managers and cooks too?! Alas, the whole debate about clubs being perpetually exploitative is always gonna be there. And perhaps I am a dreamer. As for your statement Twentyfive, an employee own/ran club is a bucket list of mine, so I can keep ya updated. I don't plan on making a fortune, if I ever own a club, because no one comes to pay the owner. They want to get services from dancers...so the dancers can make the fortune. If strippers were not at the club stripping, I don't think there would be a strip club?? ;)

This was a very interesting read! I am glad I found this. The misclassification of strippers has been a hot topic for years, and it is seemingly only getting hotter. I have danced for 7 years and I used to teeter-totter on the subject, unable to form an opinion. I didn't know what employee status would mean for a dancer, but I have always been well aware of the bullshit exploitation that is standard game in the industry. I would get SO pissed @ the scheduling requirements, following BS club rules, getting arbitrary fines, etc... yet having to pay my own taxes, no insurance or PTO, maternity leave and most concerning: no protections from sexual harassment or discrimination. I was finally able to formulate a genuine opinion on the topic, but unfortunately it was a result of me being fired from my home club. I was fired for telling a manager that tipping out is not a requirement (per our dancer contract). He was bullying a brand new, super sweet young dancer. It was 430 am and he said "You didn't tip me last weekend or tonight. Why should I even let you go home?" The dancer got super upset and said she only made $200 and needed the money, to which he said "tipping is required". I felt it was pretty necessary to speak up. I was fired the next morning via our *mandatory" FB group chat. The dancer that was getting bullied was fired immediately after, simply for asking why I got fired for sticking up for our contract. It's worth noting that the manager that was bullying her has been "in trouble" for sexual harassment towards the dancers more than 2 times in the past year. He has never been suspended or fired for it. This is just the tip of the iceberg, but it was my final straw. The amount of control that these clubs impose on the dancers is unnecessary and downright abusive. I filed a misclassification suit against this club because I know it will win and because enough is enough. Employee status will be an adjustment for sure, but the good news is that the NLRB just ruled that strippers are employee's with the right to unionize. By unionizing, we can negotiate our contracts to win back the flexibility we had as IC's.. plus we'd have hourly wage, sick pay, pto, etc... All the tips that a dancer makes under the employee model is still hers! That is federally mandated. Tips are always the workers to keep. I've read a few different models about the rest of the pay.. for instance: first $X goes to the club, everything after that is split a certain percent (20/80 or 30/70 seems fair to me). At the end of the day, WE are the industry. If we all left the club, the money will follow US. It's time to take the industry back! I am sick of seeing club owners drive to work in their BMW's while the dancers uber to work. It makes me sick. When is the last time a patron came in the club and handed money to the owner?..... Never! All of that income is off of our backs. The industry needs a change! Thanks for letting me rant lol

Damn, I hope you have found something better than those options. All of those point to raging misclassification and annoying ass power trips.