I'm very curious too. I thought there was already a thread about this on Merb. Guess I was wrong. I must've seen it on Reddit.
I read an article saying they're mainly protesting about the "bar fee". It goes by different names. I'm not sure which term is the most popular. Essentially, strippers need to pay the club a fee just to get in the door. The amount changes. One dancer told me that the price increases the closer it gets to midnight, when the club is busy. This incentivizes girls to enter the club early in the day when the fee is low or non-existent.
In some cases, the bar fee may be high enough that dancers often go home having lost money.
As a customer, I know my words on the matter don't carry much weight. That being said, I'm for the bar fee. I think it encourages only those women who are top-tier in looks and service to participate in the strip club. I doubt my favourites are having trouble paying the bar fee. For one girl I enjoy seeing, I was at the club for nearly three hours and she was in the VIP area selling dances the entire time.
Another issue I read about in that article was managing their health and safety. Sometimes, dancers get hurt while working because it is a very physical job. They want better working conditions and some financial relief when they physically cannot work due to a workplace accident.
The article also brought up that Montreal once existed without a bar fee, quoting a university lecturer who used to be a dancer herself many decades ago. And that it is definitely possible to go back to a system without it.
To add my own argument in favour of this protest, I've heard from some dancers that clubs are very particular about scheduling. For example, if a woman stops working for some time to go on vacation, the club may refuse to allow her in when she gets back. The club has the power to choose her schedule while claiming that she is a freelancer. Highly unfair!
I understand the bar fee brings economic uncertainty. I hope that the women who dance for us are compensated fairly and are treated well. Unfortunately, I do not see a way out of the bar fee. Keeping it in place means that only the women who are able to sell enough dances are able to stay in business. This is good for customers!
I know my position may not be favourable to some members here. Please feel free to counter my points.
