Dancers sue Austin strip clubs, allege unfair pay scheme by owners
For many dancers who work at strip clubs, it’s the norm to pay the club a fee to work there, to work without an hourly wage and to work beyond 40 hours a week without overtime.
Now, in lawsuits filed in Austin and across the country, women are calling the clubs out on it.
“A lot of these performers are sometimes in difficult economic situations, and they don’t have a lot of bargaining power,” said Jarrett Ellzey, the Houston-based lawyer who is representing people who are current or former performers at strip clubs throughout Texas. “And this is the culture — even some of the club owners and managers are surprised by this (information). They think it’s OK, because it’s been going on for so long.”
The lawsuits are targeting three Austin clubs — The Yellow Rose, Perfect 10 and Palazio — and similar lawsuits have been filed against roughly 60 strip clubs throughout Texas in federal court, alleging that the businesses violated the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.
Read more: https://www.statesman.com/news/20201002/dancers-sue-austin-strip-clubs-allege-unfair-pay-scheme-by-owners