Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders seek to unionize, fight for pay bump

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Association is unionizing, seeking better pay and benefits. The team’s director says the effort to raise wages is long overdue. If they are successful in their negotiations, they’d be the first cheerleading team to reach a contract with the NFL. In 2022, largely thanks to the publicity from the show America’s Sweethearts, which focused on the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, the performers received a 400% salary increase, going from $15 to $75 an hour. In addition to hours of weekly practice and games, the cheerleaders are expected to attend at least 10 community events per season and make special appearances. One cheerleader said she barely earned $1,000 for all those commitments combined. In 1995, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders tried to unionize alongside the Buffalo Bills’ Jills, but their efforts fell apart.