In the spring of 1996, workplace conditions were deteriorating at San Francisco’s peep show, the Lusty Lady. Dancers complained of discrimination and favouritism, most notably, Siobhan Brooks noticed that African-American dancers were being discriminated against and so filed a complaint. The final straw came when one-way mirrors were installed in some booths, allowing customers to photograph and record the dancers.
That spring, 80 percent of the dancers, janitors and cashiers signed union cards, which forced an election. In the summer, workers at the Lusty Lady voted 57 to 15 in favour of unionising. The following April, following the organising efforts of the Exotic Dancers Alliance and support from NSWP member organisation BAYSWAN, Local 790 of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) signed a contract with the peep show.
In 2003, the unionised workers bought the peep show, making it the world’s only unionised peep show co-op.
In August 2013, it was announced that the peep show would close because the landlord, who had interests in Déjà vu, a large company that runs almost all of San Francisco’s strip clubs, refused to negotiate over a missed rent payment.
When the Lusty Lady finally closed on September 2nd 2013, it was the only unionised and worker-run adult entertainment business in the United States.
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons