PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The dancers of Portland’s Magic Tavern became the second strip club to unionize in the U.S. after taking a unanimous vote on Thursday.
The vote follows a months-long strike led by the strippers, who say they have had to work in unsafe working conditions at the club located at 2460 NW 24th Avenue.
Dancers say the bar has failed to install security cameras, owners have “singled out” Black employees, and management has shown a lack of professionalism overall. The workers also alleged that bar leadership terminated the staff members who spoke out against the working conditions.
After announcing the strike in April, the dancers chose the Actor’s Equity Association as their bargaining representative in June. However, their representation by the company had not been finalized until this final vote – which tallied to 16 total.
“Watching the pile of yes votes get bigger and bigger was incredible,” said a stripper who goes by the stage name Poppy. “It was truly a physical representation of all of our hard work. I won’t ever forget it.”
Another dancer with the stage name Nyx said the vote gives her hope for the future of the stripper industry.
“It’s surreal that strippers are finally getting a seat at the bargaining table, and we are so excited to negotiate our first contract in order to return to work in a safer and more equitable environment,” Nyx said.
Magic Tavern is the second strip club represented by the Actors’ Equity Association. The first was the Star Garden Topless Dive Bar in North Hollywood, which voted for its union representation in May. They are currently in the process of negotiating a union contract.
Kate Shindle, the president of Actors’ Equity Association, said she is “thrilled” for the workers, adding that she is eager to get the bargaining table to get them back to their club.
“This is proof that strippers joining a union is no fluke, and that workers who want a union can have a union. In this moment, it means that another group of dancers is on the path to a fairer, safer workplace,” Shindle said. “But it’s also a win for the labor movement, particularly those in stigmatized and marginalized industries where their needs are routinely overlooked or ignored.”
