Are exotic dancers independent contractors, free to determine how and when their work will be done, but guaranteed nothing by the Fair Labor Standards Act? In the coming months, this question will likely be heard before the Illinois Southern District Court. The latest of several lawsuits to accuse a strip club of misclassifying its workers, Apple et al v. VCG Holding Corp. Louis area. Apple and Sheer claim their misclassification resulted in thousands of dollars of lost wages and a violation of their rights as de facto employees.
In ideal situations, being an independent contractor has its advantages for many strippers. The common problem, Aimee clarifies, is not that clubs classify their dancers as independent contractors, but that they classify them as such yet treat them as employees.
Nevertheless, writes Aimee,. By law, independent contractors are unable to unionize. Exotic dancers have proven misclassification in a number of lawsuits spanning the past decade.
Spearmint Rhino. At least three more class-action suits of the same kind are currently awaiting an outcome in federal courts in Atlanta and New York City. Nevertheless, Grant does point out that when dancers sue their bosses for labor law violations, they have the ability to make the industry better for workers:.
If previous cases are a predictor, Apple et al v. Skip to content. Nevertheless, writes Aimee, the industry-wide shift toward classifying dancers as independent contractors β¦ has certainly made it more difficult for dancers to organize for labor rights.
