BEST OF: How Dancers at Star Garden Became America's Only Unionized Strippers (Velveeta's Version)

For the 141st episode of Private Parts Unknown, host Courtney Kocak welcomes Velveeta, a Star Garden stripper and organizer, to explain how their 15-month fight for union recognition ended in victory in May. This was the most popular episode of 2023. The spark that ignited the unionization campaign was lit in March of 2022 when the club’s security guards repeatedly failed to protect dancers from threatening and abusive behavior from patrons. Dancers were illegally fired for bringing concerns about safety and security to management. With the assistance of Strippers United, a 501(c)3 organization led by strippers that advocates for strippers’ rights, Star Garden’s strippers began picketing outside the strip club to protest unsafe working conditions. Picketing continued every week through November outside the club’s location on Lankershim Blvd in North Hollywood, California. Last August, the dancers announced they had affiliated with Equity. Shortly afterward, the national union filed for an election with the NLRB on behalf of the dancers. In the fall, the labor board conducted an election by mail. A vote count was scheduled for November, but the results were put on hold by the NLRB due to employer objections and legal filings. On Monday, May 15th, lawyers representing the owners of the Star Garden withdrew all election challenges, agreed to recognize the union and meet with the Actors’ Equity Association across the bargaining table within 30 days to negotiate a first contract. The club reopened for business as a union club in August. Star Garden’s dancers are not the first strippers to seek union recognition. Strippers at San Francisco’s Lusty Lady organized the Exotic Dancers Union in 1997. They were affiliated with the Service Employees International Union. The Lusty Lady closed in 2013. For more from today's guest: For more about Stripper Strike Noho! and how you can support the cause linktr.ee/stripperstrikenoho Follow the Star Garden dancers on Instagram @equitystrippersnoho Follow Strippers United on Instagram @strippersunite Psst, Courtney has an 0nIyFan$, which is a horny way to support the show: https://linktr.ee/cocopeepshow Private Parts Unknown is a proud member of the Pleasure Podcast network. This episode is brought to you by: Our Sponsor, FLESHLIGHT, can help you reach new heights with your self-pleasure. Fleshlight is the #1 selling male sex toy in the world. Looking for your next pocket pal? Save 10% on your next Fleshlight with Promo Code: PRIVATE at fleshlight.com. Flure is a dating app where fun, wild, and safe collide. Download the Flure app, set your relationship goals — whether it's a long-term thing or a rendezvous with a hot stud — be real, be shamelessly you, and I promise, you'll have a blast! flure.com Explore yourself and say yes to self-pleasure with Lovehoney. Save 15% off your next favorite toy from Lovehoney when you go to ppupod.com, click Lovehoney, and enter code Private at checkout. https://linktr.ee/PrivatePartsUnknownAds If you love this episode, please leave us a 5-star rating and sexy review! —> ratethispodcast.com/private  Psst... sign up for our Private Parts Unknown newsletter for bonus content related to our episodes! privatepartsunknown.substack.com Let’s be friends on social media! Follow the show on Instagram @privatepartsunknown and Twitter @privatepartsun. Connect with host Courtney Kocak @courtneykocak on Instagram and Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices