Exotic Dancer Files Lawsuit Claiming Unpaid Wages, Overtime
An exotic dancer in Atlanta has filed a wages lawsuit against her employer, claiming violations of the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act.
In the lawsuit, the stripper Amanda Berry claims that she and another fellow exotic dancer at the same strip club were misclassified by the owners of the strip club as independent contractors. They were not classified as employees, and as a result, they were paid only tips from customers, and were not paid any overtime or even minimum wages.
The two worked at a club called Pin Ups, and according to the lawsuit, club management imposed additional fines as well as other fees on strippers, working at the club. There were widespread violations of their rights. For instance, if the dancers arrived late, they were fined. If they didn’t appear on stage immediately when their names were announced, they were slapped with another fine. Fines were also levied if they were not ready on the dance floor within 30 minutes of arriving at the facility, and they were also fined between $35 and $95 a day, as bar fees, breathalyzer test fees, DJ fees, and “slow day” fees.
Not surprisingly, the club did not even bother to inform workers, or give them prior notice before terminating them. For instance, when a manager at the facility learned that Berry was pregnant, she was immediately fired.
However, the dancers may have a long uphill battle ahead of them, especially as they do not seem to have been salaried employees of the club. The dancers may take comfort from the fact that in 2009, several dancers at another Atlanta adult club settled a similar lawsuit. In that particular case, the judge ruled that the dancers were indeed employees, even though the club did not pay them any wages.
