LA's Star Garden Topless Dive Bar to Reopen This Weekend as the Nation's Only Unionized Strip Club
Beginning tomorrow, Thursday, the Star Garden dancers will be the nation’s only strippers with union representation.
This weekend, the Star Garden Topless Dive Bar in North Hollywood will reopen after a lengthy closure. The strippers at the club will once again be performing and Actors' Equity Association will have their back. Beginning tomorrow, Thursday, the Star Garden dancers will be the nation’s only strippers with union representation.
The club’s reopening is another positive step on a long journey for the roughly 30 dancers associated with Star Garden, but not the end of the road. “We’re still hammering things out at the bargaining table, a final union contract remains a work in progress,” said Actors’ Equity Association President Kate Shindle.
In March of last year, when the club’s security guards repeatedly refused to protect dancers from threatening and abusive behavior from patrons and the club’s owners failed to address unsafe and unhealthy work conditions, Star Garden’s dancers launched a picket line outside the club.
In August of 2022 the dancers affiliated with Actors’ Equity Association and filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), seeking to have a union recognition election. An election was held in the fall, but results from the vote count, scheduled for November 7, were not released due to election challenges filed by the employer.
In May of this year, in a settlement hearing with Actors’ Equity Association, the employer withdrew all election challenges. The NLRB counted the votes cast and it was unanimous support for the union. The employer then agreed to recognize the union and meet across the bargaining table. Negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement have been underway throughout the summer and are ongoing.
“Patrons should be able to go to a strip club, enjoy themselves and feel good in knowing that the dancers are well-treated,” said Shindle. “We have an interim agreement for the club to open. Soon, I hope, we will have a contract that will give our members what they need and at the same time help the club to succeed.”
ACTORS' EQUITY ASSOCIATION, founded in 1913, is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers. Equity endeavors to advance the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits (health and pension included). Member: AFL-CIO, FIA. www.actorsequity.org
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