Strippers partner with Northwest lawmakers to improve working conditions
By: Justin Sullivan, Getty
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Around the country, strippers have stepped up their fight for better working conditions.
Some are suing. Others have filed complaints with state regulators. A handful have unionized.
But in Oregon, home to fierce free speech protections and a robust strip club scene, the dancers are taking a different approach. They're working directly with state lawmakers and even professional lobbyists to win workplace improvements.
The dancers say they're too often subjected to rules imposed by well-meaning outsiders, so they're glad to have a voice in the Legislature. A group of dancers convened by social workers meets regularly to discuss improvements.
The strippers are seeking small changes: A mandate that clubs post information about the rights of dancers, with a hotline they can call to report abuses.
Club owners worry they'll have to foot the bill.
___
Follow AP writer Jonathan J. Cooper on Twitter.