BEST OF: How Dancers at Star Garden Became America's Only Unionized Strippers (Velveeta's Version)

Private Parts Unknown

For the 141st episode of Private Parts Unknown, host Courtney Kocak welcomes Velveeta, a Star Garden stripper and organizer, to explain how their 15-month fight for union recognition ended in victory in May. This was the most popular episode of 2023.

The spark that ignited the 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. On Monday, May 15th, lawyers representing the owners of the Star Garden withdrew all election challenges, agreed to recognize the union and meet with the Actors’ Equity Association across the bargaining table within 30 days to negotiate a first contract. The club reopened for business as a union club in August.

Star Garden’s dancers are not the first strippers to seek union recognition. Strippers at San Francisco’s Lusty Lady organized the Exotic Dancers Union in 1997. They were affiliated with the Service Employees International Union. The Lusty Lady closed in 2013.

For more from today's guest:

• For more about Stripper Strike Noho! and how you can support the cause linktr.ee/stripperstrikenoho
• Follow the Star Garden dancers on Instagram @equitystrippersnoho
• Follow Strippers United on Instagram @strippersunite

Psst, Courtney has an 0nIyFan$, which is a horny way to support the show: https://linktr.ee/cocopeepshow

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