Strippers in Oregon are taking a bold stance for better working conditions through lawsuits, complaints with civil regulators, unionization, and evening lobbying lawmakers for legislation that would protect them.

Oregon is filled with strip clubs, part of a unique culture of a state that is unusually protective of the practice, but strippers say there are many establishments where they are treated poorly, according to an Associated Press report.

Many in the industry complain that the buildings they work in are dilapidated, with cases where a stripper would injure herself from broken glass on the stage of wiring for a sound system that is not up to code and poses a safety hazard.

The Association of Club Executives, however, says that most clubs take the safety of dancers seriously and there are only a few bad apples to fail to protect their workers.

Dancers and their lobbyists are seeking a few changes to the law. For example, they want strip clubs to do a better job of complying with mandatory health and safety standards, which includes structurally sound poles and adequate security, but they may face an uphill climb in the legislature.

At the very least, they want a mandate for clubs to display posters that inform dancers of their rights and provide a hotline for them to call in cases of abuse or if they simply have questions about their rights.

Because strippers typically work as contractors instead of employees, they often pay a “stage fee” or shell out some of their earnings to management or employees such as bouncers and DJs. It also allows clubs to avoid payroll taxes or an obligation to provide health insurance.

Many of the women who get into stripping don’t have much experience when they start and end up being exploited, the stripper lobby argues. They don’t realize that sometimes what management is doing is illegal or inappropriate.