NORTH HOLLYWOOD, California — The dancers at the Star Garden Topless Dive Bar in North Hollywood succeeded last week in their 15-month campaign for better working conditions, becoming the only unionized strippers in the United States.
The dancers joined the Actors’ Equity Association labor union after the Star Garden owners finally withdrew their opposition and agreed to recognize the unionized dancers, ABC News reported.
After management agreed to a settlement, a formal vote count by the National Labor Relations Board was held last Thursday.
Star Garden dancer Lilith told the Associated Press that the group hopes their efforts “have laid the groundwork for any other stripper in the country who decides that they want to also have a voice in the way their workplace is run.”
Notable precedents for this type of sex worker organizing include the Exotic Dancers Union, formed in the late 1990s by dancers at San Francisco’s Lusty Lady, which shuttered a decade ago.
Star Garden, its attorneys told ABC, “is committed to negotiating in good faith with Actors’ Equity a first-of-its-kind collective bargaining agreement which is fair to all parties.”
'Absolute Warriors'
Star Garden dancer Reagan, one of the organizers, wrote in a statement shared with XBIZ, “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. 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.”
The dancers also heralded the development as a first for Actors’ Equity, a century-old union affiliated with the AFL-CIO. Actors’ Equity also represents Broadway, Walt Disney World and other theatrical performers.
“Strippers are live entertainers,” Actors’ Equity President Kate Shindle stated. “While some elements of their job are unique, they are essentially performance artists, and have a lot in common with other Equity members who dance for a living. Every worker who wants a union deserves a union. The Star Garden dancers have been absolute warriors throughout this long process, and I’m thrilled that we’ve won recognition of their rights to safety and democracy in the workplace and representation at the bargaining table.”