The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders have formed a union after years of fighting for fair pay. On Friday, the Dallas Cowboys organization officially recognized the dancers' group, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Association. This voluntary decision allows the 36-member dance squad to negotiate their pay and working conditions together with team management as a group.
The squad, established in 1961, is one of the most famous dance groups in the world and recently gained more attention through the Netflix show America's Sweethearts. Despite the team's fame, the cheerleaders have long faced low salaries. In 2018, former cheerleader Erica Wilkins filed a lawsuit claiming she made around $15,000 per season, which was less than the team's male mascot, even though the Cowboys franchise is worth $17 billion.
Because of the low pay, several dancers had to work full-time jobs alongside their strict dance schedule just to pay their bills. During recent contract negotiations, the dancers even threatened a walkout. They eventually won a 400 percent pay raise, increasing their hourly rate from $15 to $75 for game day appearances, but the contract still did not include health insurance.
With the union now recognized, the cheerleaders and the Cowboys are preparing to begin formal collective bargaining. While the Buffalo Bills cheerleaders briefly unionized in 1995 before later disbanding, the Dallas dancers hope their new union will give them lasting power to negotiate better contracts in the future.