PT Showclubs Sued by Strippers for Wage Theft

Summary: Strippers nationwide are suing club chain, PT Showclubs.

A national strip club company is facing a federal lawsuit claiming that it exploits its dancers by forcing them to pay fees to work.

The lawsuit was filed on Friday in Denver against PT Showclubs, which owns more than a dozen clubs across the country. The plaintiffs allege that the company charged dancers fees based on the time of day they worked and whether or not they worked special events. They also said that the clubs took portions of the workers’ tips to pay out bouncers and DJs, and that the girls’ were required to pay for their own valet parking and $6 bottles of water.

Stripper Georgina Santich is the lead plaintiff in the case. She said she worked at PT’s Showclub in Denver for nine years, and her lawyers said that she and hundreds of other exotic dancers are owed back what the company unrightfully stole.

This lawsuit is similar to others filed throughout recent years that claim strippers don’t make minimum wage and that clubs misclassify them as independent contractors instead of employees. The previous cases tended to rule in the strippers’ favor because clubs treated them like employees, dictating what time they worked, what they wore, and how they behaved.

Clubs often try to argue that dancers rent space and that is why they are independent contractors. This type of arrangement is similar to what hairstylists have by renting booths in a salon. However, hairstylists often get to choose their own hours and pricing.