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Stripper sues Byron club, demanding minimum wage and overtime

The lawsuit says management did not pay any wages to strippers, who are paid entirely through customer's tips.
Credit: Thinkstock

A woman who worked as a stripper at a Byron nightclub has sued management, saying they should pay their entertainers minimum wage and overtime.

Destiny Bailey filed the lawsuit in federal court Wednesday against the owners of Strippers Inc.

She claims that owners and managers John and Veeda Chambers classify their strippers as independent contractors rather than employees.

Bailey argues that's a violation of the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

Her lawsuit says management did not pay any wages to strippers, who are paid entirely through customers' tips.

But the dancers were required to pay $25 to $30 for each shift for the right to work, Bailey claims.

The owners force their dancers to pool their tips and require payments, fees and fines to management, the lawsuit says.

Bailey claims she worked at Strippers from June 2013 to January 2015 and again from March 2016 to August 2017.

She says she and dancers "danced on stage for Strippers Inc., played pool with Strippers Inc.'s customers, and provided table and lap dances for Stripper's Inc. customers."

Customers paid for those dances and pool games, the suit says, but strippers had to pay management part of their cost.

They also paid to pay the club's DJ 10 percent of their tips, the suit says.

Dancers were required to work scheduled shifts and management monitored their dress and appearance, the suit says.

They were ordered to attend regular meetings to discuss their dress, hair, makeup, weight and appearance, Bailey claims.

All that makes the dancers "employees," as defined by federal law, Bailey says.

Other court rulings have confirmed that strippers should be classified as employees rather than independent contractors, the suit claims.

"Defendants continue to operate unlawfully because it is more profitable for them to continue violating the law," the lawsuit says.

Bailey is asking the court to treat her lawsuit as a class-action case and invite other dancers to join her lawsuit.

We called Strippers, but could not reach the club's managers for comment.

Destiny vs. Strippers Inc. lawsuit by 13WMAZ on Scribd

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