When the Star Garden Topless Dive Bar reopens Thursday, Aug. 24 in North Hollywood, it will feature the nation’s only unionized strippers.
The venue shuttered early this year, and the reopening of the club on Lankershim Boulevard is another step forward for the roughly 30 dancers associated with the club, many of whom are now members of the Actors’ Equity Association.
They waged a year-long campaign to join Actors’ Equity, and it wasn’t until May that management opted to recognize their union status.
“We’re still hammering things out at the bargaining table,” said Kate Shindle, president of the association. “A final union contract remains a work in progress.” The organization represents more than 51,000 workers.
The dancers are seeking increased protection from belligerent customers, and they also want to ensure they receive an adequate share of the revenue generated through their performances.
Representatives with Star Garden could not be reached for comment.
One of the club’s strippers, who goes by the stage name Lilith, said she’s ready to hit the stage again.
“I’ve been dreaming of going back since the start of the picket line,” the 27-year-old Los Angeles resident said. “This will be a major celebration.”
The move to unionize, they say, grew out of necessity.
The strippers contend that in March 2022 the club’s security guards and management repeatedly refused to protect them from threatening and abusive behavior from patrons. They’ve also complained of unsafe work conditions, including holes in the stage and protruding nails.
On March 18, 15 of the club’s 23 employees at the time delivered a petition to Star Garden’s owners stating their demands. But when they attempted to meet with their bosses to discuss their grievances, the dancers were locked out.
They picketed the club for eight months. The situation escalated in August 2022 when the majority of strippers filed a petition for a union-recognition…
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