Former dancers sue Fort Myers strip club for hourly wage

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FORT MYERS, Fla. — Two former exotic dancers filed a class action lawsuit against the entertainment company that owns Babe’s, a popular strip club on U.S. 41.

The dancers claim they, as well as others, have been unfairly compensated for several years and want backpay.

The lawsuit states the club has a longstanding practice of misclassifying exotic dancers as independent contractors instead of full-time employees.

The club controlled the dancers’ schedules, requiring them to work a certain number of days during the week, often more than 40 hours a week, without paying them an hourly wage.

Instead, the dancers’ made their income solely from tips.

The lawsuit claims the club’s practices violate federal labor laws and lawyers want Babe’s to pay all current and former exotic dancers any overtime they felt were owed to them over the last five years.

Similar lawsuits have already been settled in the Miami area and Key West, where strip clubs were forced to pay millions.

The case is set to go to trial in a few months.

Babe’s refused to comment on the impending lawsuit.

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