Strippers in Washington are fighting for stronger workplace protections after stripper groups secured victories in Portland and Los Angeles
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Adult dancers in Washington say they are fed up by hostile customers and clubs taking advantage of them and are demanding better workplace protections under a "strippers' bill of rights."
The strippers' rights bill, Senate Bill 6105, was approved in the Washington legislature on February 7 in a 29-20 vote. The legislation would "require a security guard at each club, keypad codes to enter dressing rooms, training for employees on preventing sexual harassment, and procedures if a customer is violent," according to The Associated Press.
The bill would also require "training on how to de-escalate conflict between dancers, employees and customers, and signs stating that dancers are not required to hand over tips to their employers," the report said.
SB 6105 and its companion House Bill 2036 are the result of grassroots efforts by the dancer-led group Strippers Are Workers, its campaign manager Madison Zack-Wu revealed.
Most dancers in Washington are independent contractors, and they can be blacklisted if they report abuse or exploitation by managers, she told the AP. Customers pay the dancers, who then have to pay club fees every shift, which could be as much as $200.
The proposed measures would cap club fees at $150 or 30% of the amount they made during their shift — whichever is less — while barring clubs from charging debts to dancers.
The bills would also ensure workers are protected against harassment, Strippers Are Workers says.
Some members of the group said they'd been sexually assaulted by customers and harassed by club staff for not earning enough tips.
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Strippers have gone on strike to secure better workplace protections in Portland and Los Angeles. (iStock)
"We shouldn’t be verbally abused for just doing our job and existing," 24-year-old dancer Andrea said in the report.
Another dancer explained how she and other dancers were sometimes forced to deal with hostile customers themselves and pay fees to the club even when their customers didn't pay.
"The lack of security and training and the lack of support between the management to the dancers, creates this culture where customers know that they can come in and not pay, they can come in and assault dancers, and they can come in and pretty much do whatever they want," 28-year-old dancer Eva Bhagwandin remarked.
The dancers are hopeful these measures will pass.
"It’s not the easiest place for us to be sometimes but, you know, a lot of people persevere because we love the job," Andrea said. "But with all these protections in place, it would really help a lot."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Kristine Parks is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. Read more.
