[US] Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders achieve substantial pay increase after multi-year fight

In the US, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (DCC) have received a 400% raise. The significant pay hike comes after a multi-year fight for higher wages and sets a precedent that could impact professional dance teams nationwide, Fortune reports.

In the final episode of America’s Sweethearts, a Netflix docuseries about the squad, the cheerleaders revealed that they would receive a 400% raise this year.

The DCC held back from talking specific figures and did not disclose what their previous pay had been.

News of the wage bump marks the end of a long battle. In 2018, former cheerleader Erica Wilkins reportedly sued the team over unfair pay, saying she received just $7 per hour and a flat fee of $200 per game. Her case was settled out of court in 2019, and hourly wages have risen by little in the interim.

Speaking to the New York Times, one former DCC said she earned $15 an hour and $500 for each appearance in 2024. More experienced squad members earn higher amounts, potentially taking hourly salary levels to $60 and above.

The documentary partially focused on the financial struggle of members in its first season, showing that many squad members held full-time jobs in addition to their duties to the team. DCC responsibilities include several hours of rehearsals each week, attending 10 home games each season, halftime performances, and special appearances.

The cheerleaders reportedly do not receive health insurance through the team, but do have access to a team doctor and physical therapist.

Speaking on the show, DCC Kylie Dickson said, “We got our contracts and probably wrongly assumed that it maybe would have been different, just because of everything that was on TV. The world was kind of telling us, ‘Girls, fight for more.’”

Source: Fortune

(Link and quote via original reporting)

In the US, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (DCC) have received a 400% raise. The significant pay hike comes after a multi-year fight for higher wages and sets a precedent that could impact professional dance teams nationwide, Fortune reports.

In the final episode of America’s Sweethearts, a Netflix docuseries about the squad, the cheerleaders revealed that they would receive a 400% raise this year.

The DCC held back from talking specific figures and did not disclose what their previous pay had been.

News of the wage bump marks the end of a long battle. In 2018, former cheerleader Erica Wilkins reportedly sued the team over unfair pay, saying she received just $7 per hour and a flat fee of $200 per game. Her case was settled out of court in 2019, and hourly wages have risen by little in the interim.

Speaking to the New York Times, one former DCC said she earned $15 an hour and $500 for each appearance in 2024. More experienced squad members earn higher amounts, potentially taking hourly salary levels to $60 and above.

The documentary partially focused on the financial struggle of members in its first season, showing that many squad members held full-time jobs in addition to their duties to the team. DCC responsibilities include several hours of rehearsals each week, attending 10 home games each season, halftime performances, and special appearances.

The cheerleaders reportedly do not receive health insurance through the team, but do have access to a team doctor and physical therapist.

Speaking on the show, DCC Kylie Dickson said, “We got our contracts and probably wrongly assumed that it maybe would have been different, just because of everything that was on TV. The world was kind of telling us, ‘Girls, fight for more.’”

Source: Fortune

(Link and quote via original reporting)