Exotic dancer sues Waverly club, says she's never received hourly wage (since 2004)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20140327/NEWS/140328747/1685#exotic-dancer-sues-waverly-club-says-she-s-never-received-hourly-wage

By Paul Hammel PUBLISHED THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 2014 AT 3:19 PM

LINCOLN — An exotic dancer has sued a Waverly, Neb., club claiming the owner is stripping her of her wages.

In a lawsuit filed Thursday, Elizabeth Mays, a resident of Wisconsin, said she has danced at the Shaker’s club since 2004, but never been paid an hourly wage.

She claims that the strip club is incorrectly regarding its exotic dancers as “independent contractors” to avoid paying wages and time and a half for overtime.

The dancer’s attorney, Vince Powers of Lincoln, said the dancers do not fit the definition of independent contractors because Shakers regulates the dancers’ dress, music, hours and other conditions of employment. Right now, their only pay is tips from customers.

FULL story at link.

This also means Shaker's hasn't paid Social Security on the ladies either. OS

[bluestateguy]

1. I think they are required to pay a base minimum of the MW

If the ladies don't make more than the MW equivalent during their shifts. This is the rule for waiters too.

But the way things work, it becomes incumbent on the employee to ask for the wage gap to be made up. The employers usually don't tell their workers that they have the right to MW pay, so workers have to take some responsibility to know the law and ask for their wages.

This isn't right, but it's the way things work.

[Benton D Struckcheon]

2. That's ridiculous.

This crap needs to stop. Truck drivers, strippers, computer programmers, whatever. An employee is an employee, period. Pay the freakin SS taxes.