Portland expected to get its first stripper union
The National Labor Relations Board is expected to certify a unionization vote from 16 Portland strippers this week. It’s the first such group of Portland dancers to vote to unionize.
“That was the worst I'd seen at a club and I really couldn't justify continuing to support that," said a performer by the name of Creature, who works at the Magic Tavern in Northwest Portland.
Creature said that she joined the union effort after two dancers were fired in March for speaking up. Strippers at the Magic Tavern have been on strike since April protesting a lack of security and other unsafe working conditions.
Last week, they became just the second active group of strippers in the country, and the only in Portland, to unionize. The NLRB could certify the vote later this week.
Tavern management declined to talk with OPB, but said in an August Instagram post that unhappy dancers can choose to work at other clubs.
