Dancers sue South Florida strip club over wages

Dancers at a South Florida strip club are suing the club's operators, alleging that they were paid less than minimum wage for years because they were wrongly classified as independent contractors.

Driving the news: Eleven dancers recently filed a proposed class action lawsuit against the Booby Trap's management, Law 360 first reported.

In the suit, the dancers allege they:

• were not paid overtime;
• had their tips taken unlawfully by being forced to tip out DJs, managers and bouncers;
• had to pay the club illegal kickbacks in the form of “house fees” to be allowed to work.

Context: Booby Trap operators are facing similar allegations in another federal civil lawsuit filed by dancers in March.

• There are four Booby Trap clubs in South Florida — in Doral, Pompano Beach, South Miami, and on the Miami River.

Attorneys for the defendants did not respond to requests for comment from Axios.

Between the lines: The misclassification of employees as independent contractors can block workers from protections such as unemployment insurance and workers' compensation, according to the Department of Labor:

• It also lets employers cut costs and avoid complying with labor laws, and it can result in lower tax revenues for governments.