The ‘No Justice, No Booty’: Portland Strippers continue organizing for better working conditions. This is two years after the momentous Stripper Strike PDX. Dancers in Portland, Oregon have continued organizing for better working conditions since the 2020’s Stripper Strike. Sex workers were left without access to aid during the pandemic and created mutual aid groups to make ends meet. As unionizing has been successful in other industries, strippers are once again flexing their muscles.
Due to the successful organizing of Portland strippers, labor groups for strippers have expanded beyond Portland to Los Angeles and beyond. Information has been reported that Portland is home to the most strip clubs per capita in the US. In the famous summer of the 2020 protests against racial police violence, strippers also took action. More than 100 dancers protested for better working conditions and nearly 30 strip clubs – facing the financial pressure of the pandemic as well as missing dancers – ultimately agreed to undergo anti-racism training, listening sessions, and hire more dancers of color.
Today sex workers in the region are still organizing to secure better living and working conditions. Other strippers in other states have movements that have gained steam.
Strippers still face sexual harassment and assault at work, by both management and customers of clubs. They say that conditions have been more challenging since the pandemic. Black dancers reported hearing racist remarks and facing discrimination at work. Sex work faces magnified issues of prejudice and stigma, which in turn makes it a hard job to sustain without strong community help.
Black dancers reported facing racist harassment and discrimination on a regular basis. They also have to deal with clubs that illegally withhold wages. These same clubs require illegal kickbacks in addition to the risk of sexual violence.
Dancers have a suit pending against six different strip clubs in Oregon. The dancers are alleging federal wage violations. Dancers also face increased stigma when seeking traditional aid resources. Many were ineligible for unemployment benefits, even as clubs closed during the pandemic. The stopping profession is a heavy under-the-table type of work for pay.
