Suing A Strip Club?

Location: New York

I recently quit a strip club in New York State where I worked for almost two years and I believe I was misclassified as an independent contractor, but in practice, I was treated like an employee. I have strong documentation and evidence showing this.

The problem is, I did sign a contract that frames me as an independent contractor, and it also included an arbitration agreement. From what I understand, arbitration could make it harder to win and might even require me to pay the club’s attorney fees if I lose.

Given all this, should I pursue a claim or would the contract/arbitration agreement make it too risky? Here are some things that fall under misclassification that I’ve documented.

1. Required to sign in/sign out each shift but they only count your shift as starting once you’re dressed and out on the floor.
2. Required to work minimum 6 hours every shift or pay a fee to leave early or come in after a certain time.
3. Not allowed to set prices for private dances.
4. Club sets dance prices/timing.
5. Not allowed to pick our own music.
6. Required to go on stage.
7. Club takes a cut of every private dance, we are required to tip out staff and pay a non negotiable fee to work.
8. Not allowed to leave the club premises once signed in.
9. Not allowed to work weekends if you don’t work at least one weekday.
10. Club controls interactions between customers and dancers and we can be fired/fined/reprimanded if they don’t like our interactions. It could be something as simple as a walking away from a customer that’s not spending money and the club can reprimand you for that.
11. Club controls how we get paid. We have to go through the club for all private dances, and they don’t pay us upfront, we get a tokens to redeem at end of the night to get paid.
12. Club doesn’t allow us to get dressed until we cash out our tokens and tip out all required staff.
13. We also cannot accept payments from customers like Apple Pay, Cash App, etc. it all has to go through the club first so they take a cut.
14. Club also requires we give them our one dollar bills and cash them in for bigger bills.

I documented EVERYTHING every single shift I work for almost two years as well.