For the 127th episode of Private Parts Unknown, host Courtney Kocak takes you inside the historic reopening of Star Garden Topless Dive Bar, now officially America's only union strip club — and only the second club to unionization in the country, period, after strippers at San Francisco’s Lusty Lady organized the Exotic Dancers Union in 1997.
On Monday, May 15th, lawyers representing the owners of the Star Garden agreed to recognize the union and meet with the Actors’ Equity Association across the bargaining table within 30 days to negotiate a first contract — and now, 3.5 months later, the club opened back up for business on Thursday, August 24th. Kocak was there to talk to dancers Selena, Wicked, and May and the lead negotiator, Andrea Hoeschen, General Counsel for Actors' Equity Association. Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine was also there to sing a few songs and show his support for the strippers. Kocak and her friend Stacey were also excited to be the first customers inside when the club reopened its doors.
The spark that ignited the Star Garden unionization campaign was lit in March of 2022 when the club’s security guards repeatedly failed to protect dancers from threatening and abusive behavior from patrons. Dancers were illegally fired for bringing concerns about safety and security to management. With the assistance of Strippers United, a 501(c)3 organization led by strippers that advocates for strippers’ rights, Star Garden’s strippers began picketing outside the strip club to protest unsafe working conditions. Picketing continued every week through November outside the club’s location on Lankershim Blvd in North Hollywood, California.
Last August, the dancers announced they had affiliated with Equity. Shortly afterward, the national union filed for an election with the NLRB on behalf of the dancers. In the fall, the labor board conducted an election by mail. A vote count was scheduled for November, but the results were put on hold by the NLRB due to employer objections and legal filings. The NLRB was scheduled to hold a hearing in May over the employer objections, but that hearing was canceled when lawyers representing the owners of the Star Garden agreed to recognize the union.
Private Parts Unknown is a podcast about love and sexuality around the world, hosted by Courtney Kocak.
For more from today's guest:
💋 For more about the Star Garden strippers and how you can support their cause https://linktr.ee/stripperstrikenoho
💋 Follow Stripper Strike Noho on Instagram @equitystrippersnoho
💋 Follow Strippers United on Instagram @strippersunite
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