Dallas Cowboys recognize cheerleaders’ union — The Guardian
In Dallas, United States, National Football League club Dallas Cowboys voluntarily recognized the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Association (DCCA) as the cheerleading team’s representative in collective bargaining. The parties are set to begin negotiations after years of demands by team members for fairer pay.
Recognition of representation
The decision was made after a “meaningful discussion” between the Dallas Cowboys organization and the DCCA, The Guardian reports. In a statement, the DCCA said that the cheerleaders are an important part of the Cowboys organization, respected for their talent and dedication. It also stressed that the team remains one of the most sought-after opportunities for dancers in the world.
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders was founded in 1961, a year after the football team’s debut season in the NFL. The cheerleaders are among the world’s most famous dance teams and became the subjects of the Netflix series America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. The show’s third season was released in June.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Pay disputes
The series showed the lives of team members, many of whom have full-time jobs in addition to performing at games. It also covered the cheerleaders’ long-running fight for higher pay. In 2018, cheerleader Erika Wilkins filed a federal lawsuit against the Cowboys over fair pay. She said that she earned an average of $15,000 during her time performing in Dallas and was paid less than the man who served as the team’s mascot.
The second season of the series covered contract negotiations for the 36-member team, during which threats of a strike were made. Ultimately, the cheerleaders received a 400% pay increase: the hourly wage for some members rose from $15 to $75 in the 2024 season. One member told The New York Times that the new contract increased payments for performances on game days but did not provide health insurance.
Previous NFL experience
The Cowboys cheerleaders are not the first in the NFL to unionize. In 1995, the U.S. National Labor Relations Board ruled that Buffalo Bills cheerleaders could do so. The Buffalo Jills team then joined the National Football League Cheerleaders Association, but the union was short-lived, and the team itself was disbanded in 2014.
