Strippers finally settle with Rick's Cabaret for $15 million
A Houston-based cabaret chain may finally be seeing an end to a prolonged legal battle with some of its dancers.
Courthouse News Service reports 2,300 current and former dancers at a Rick's Cabaret in Manhattan are pushing for a $15 million settlement later this month regarding an ongoing wage dispute. They say the establishment cheated them out of earned wages, kept their tips and levied illegitimate fees against them.
The $75 million company was founded in 1983 in Houston, and went public in 1995. Notably, model Anna Nicole Smith met her billionaire husband while dancing at Rick's. According to the company website, "most performers are independent contractors who pay a facilities use fee to perform and are compensated by customers."
The current lawsuit was filed in 2009, and has seen a lengthy battle through New York courts. A lawyer for the plaintiff women said they were seeking settlement out of fear that legal proceedings could drag on for years to come. A four-week trial is scheduled for April 27.
More at http://www.chron.com/business/article/Thousands-of-strippers-sue-club-6177787.php
Cross-posted in the Labor Movement Group.
[font color=green]I try hard to cover strippers.[/font]