America's first unionized strip club in two decades Star Garden in North Hollywood REOPENS after nine months after firing over a dozen dancers who refused to work without better pay, filing for bankruptcy and shutting down

North Hollywood's Star Garden Topless Dive Bar has reopened its doors nine months after declaring bankruptcy and shutting down. 

Last year, the club's dancers became second-ever strippers in the United States to gain union recognition since the 1990s. 

The dancers struggled for 15 months for union representation after battling to protect themselves from sexual assault and unsafe working conditions.

On their first night back, customers were greeted with a part union rally, part sidewalk party, part reopening celebration taking place in front of the club. 

Dancers standing outside encouraged people to come in and spend their money. One dancer named Velveeta was heard saying: 'If you’re prepared to go to the club tonight, please do so. Party with us!' 

On their first night back, customers were greeted with a part union rally, part sidewalk party, part reopening celebration taking place in front of the club

North Hollywood's Star Garden Topless Dive Bar has reopened its doors nine months after declaring bankruptcy and shutting down

Passerby's also saw Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello playing songs on his guitar while striking actors and writers cheered as they lined up to enter. 

After months of deliberation, the club agreed to many of the dancer's demands which included, 'renovation and improving many environmental safety hazards, reinstalling the pole right side up, steam cleaning carpeted areas and equipping security guards with metal detectors.'

Star Garden also rehired all of the 12 dancers they had fired for being a part of the protests last year and no security guards who worked at the club in the past will be assigned to the bar moving forward. 

But even though all seemed well at its reopening on August 24, Star Garden also brought in some changes that have caused the dancers new problems. Only one has been solved till date. 

A $40 cover charge per person was introduced at the entry and drink prices have been massively increased. The bar also went cashless and its ATM had been removed. 

Along with this, since the reopening management had begun to discourage customers from tipping with cash. 

At the time, dancers said they felt the club was trying to 'deter customers, demoralize dancers and weaken resolve in contract negotiations'. 

Another dancer at the club named Charlie told The Los Angeles Times: 'That’s not how strip clubs are supposed to work. People came prepared to spend cash, obviously. It’s really shocking and hard to hear. 

One of the dancers named Sinder's mother Lisa Howe came to the club and refused to pay the $40 charge. 

She said: '[Star Garden owner} doesn’t care about anyone but himself. The girls are so strong, they stuck to their guns and they did what they had to do … they’re a real family.'

But the club was unsuccessful in their plans and on September 27, the strippers announced on their Instagram page that the cover charge had been lowered. 

They wrote: 'We are so thrilled about this! We are taking our small victories to build on big ones!

'It’s the simple act of making progress in work that’s keeping us going!  thank you to everyone that came and loved on us when it was $40. your love and support never goes unnoticed.' 

In May 2022 , dancers who were tired of the horrible working conditions and retaliatory firings of those who tried to address customers’ dangerous behavior towards them came together to launch a campaign to be recognized as a union

The spark that ignited the campaign was lit in March of 2022, when the club's security guards repeatedly failed to protect dancers from threatening and abusive behavior from customers

A dancer named Reagan, left, protesting outside Star Garden Topless Dive Bar on Saturday, March 26, 2022 in North Hollywood

A dancer named Reagan, holding the 'Twerk Union' sign, pictured protesting outside the Star Garden strip club in North Hollywood in March 2022

The North Hollywood dancers said they hoped their victory would promote new union efforts at other US strip clubs

Supporters join strippers for a rally outside the Star Garden Topless Dive Bar on August 19, 2022 in North Hollywood, California

 In May 2022, dancers who were tired of the horrible working conditions and retaliatory firings of those who tried to address customers’ dangerous behavior towards them came together to launch a campaign to be recognized as a union. 

Reagan was pictured joining the first protests, claiming more than a dozen of her coworkers were illegally barred from returning to work after they raised concerns regarding their own safety.

The dancers also claimed security guards repeatedly failed to protect dancers from threatening and abusive behavior from customers.

Eventually, the strippers began picketing outside the strip club to protest unsafe working conditions and the workers ramped up to weekly demonstrations through November.

Speaking last year, Reagan said: 'Normally I love this job and I find dancing to be empowering and fun, but safety protocol is absolutely necessary and without it, dancing in a club becomes chaotic and dangerous.

'More than a dozen strippers have been barred from returning to work after they raised concerns regarding their own safety and what they say is the club's management failure to protect them from assault.'

After a year, the Actors' Equity Association said that attorneys representing the owners of the venue finally agreed to recognize the union and to begin bargaining within a month on an initial contract.

Kate Shindle, the union president, said in a statement: 'Strippers are live entertainers. While some elements of their job are unique, they are essentially performance artists, and have a lot in common with other Equity members who dance for a living.'

 The National Labor Relations Board had previously ruled that the bar violated labor laws by terminating three strippers and locking out more than a dozen others who had raised concerns about their health and safety at the bar. 

The Star Garden dancers strategically made their protests entertaining to communicate to customers and the club owners that they made the club and without them the business did not exist. 

The dancers went on the charm offensive and stripped down to their underwear to help push the labor movement. 

They asked loyal customers to 'come back another time, visit a different club or party with them on the picket line rather than going inside'. Every night of the protest, the strippers had a different theme, which included costumes and props to keep their supporters interested.

They were also able to build a massive following on social media and used their supporters’ contributions to make the 15-month protest possible along with working other jobs

They were also able to build a massive following on social media and used their supporters’ contributions to make the 15-month protest possible along with working other jobs. 

And after multiple legal battles, that included the club filing for bankruptcy and shutting down, the union and the Star Garden owners announced a settlement in May 2023. The agreement allowed the dancers to proceed with a union vote and the club to reopen.

Ana Ruda, an attorney for Star Garden said in a statement: 'Star Garden is committed to negotiating in good faith with Actor’s Equity a first of its kind collective bargaining agreement which is fair to all parties. Star Garden decided to settle, as it has always been a fair and equal opportunity employer, that respects the rights of its employees.”

The North Hollywood dancers said they hoped their victory would promote new union efforts at other strip clubs.

'This is not just a win for the dancers at this club, but the entire strip club industry,' said Lilith, a Star Garden dancer and leader of the protest in a statement.

After they were formally recognized by the AEA, Reagan said: 'If you have been following our journey, then you know this has been a long, exhausting fight, which is why this victory is so sweet.

'We put everything we have into this campaign, and we were fortunate to have the support and solidarity from the club’s patrons, our allies and friends, the labor movement and our union, Actors’ Equity Association,' she said.

Sinder also expressed her joy and said: 'I'm excited that all of my beautiful coworkers will finally have a seat at the table and a voice to discuss safety and other issues. This is a big day for us and dancers everywhere.'

The first ever strip club to be unionized was the Lusty Lady, a worker-owned club in San Francisco in 1997 with the Service Employees International Union. The club closed down in 2013.