DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders have formed an independent labor union that has received voluntary recognition from the NFL franchise, opening the door to collective bargaining talks over pay and workplace standards.
The team and the newly organized group, called the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Association, revealed the arrangement in a joint statement released Friday, Oct. 23. The organization stated the decision followed productive talks between team management and the performers, who represent the most recognizable dance group in American professional sports.
“The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are an esteemed part of the Cowboys organization, deeply respected for the talent and dedication they exhibit,” the organizations said in the joint statement, adding that the squad continues to be “one of the most sought-after opportunities for talented dancers worldwide.”
Spotlight on Compensation and Rights
The collective bargaining unit will negotiate an initial contract on behalf of the performers. Currently, 36 active dancers make up the squad, though it remains undetermined exactly how many will be included in the formal bargaining unit, NBC News reported.
The push for collective representation follows intense public focus on wages and working conditions across professional cheerleading. That scrutiny gained widespread traction after Netflix premiered the documentary series “America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders” in 2024. During the show’s second season, dancers revealed that members were slated to receive an estimated 400 percent salary boost for the 2025 season, according to reports by The Dallas Morning News.
Former squad member Jada McLean told The New York Times that during the 2024 season, her fifth year with the team, she earned $15 per hour alongside $500 for each public appearance. McLean noted that under the subsequent wage adjustment, veteran members stood to collect upwards of $75 per hour, although the updated arrangement still lacked health insurance coverage.
Legal fights have also challenged past pay standards. Erica Wilkins, a former cheerleader, filed a federal fair wage lawsuit against the club in 2018 alleging that she received less than minimum wage and made less than the franchise’s male mascot. The Cowboys reached a settlement in 2019 that doubled dancer compensation to $400 for every game day, the Associated Press reported.
A Rare Labor Breakthrough
Labor organizations remain virtually nonexistent among major pro sports cheer squads. The first squad to successfully organize was the Buffalo Jills, the cheer team for the Buffalo Bills, which gained a National Labor Relations Board ruling in 1995 enabling them to establish and vote to join the National Football League Cheerleaders Association, according to the Associated Press.
The Buffalo group ceased operations in 2014 following a legal dispute initiated by former participants who alleged unpaid labor hours and inappropriate treatment.
Victor Chen, a sociologist and labor researcher at Virginia Commonwealth University, told the Associated Press that the immense cultural visibility of the Dallas squad and the reach of their Netflix series likely provided crucial leverage that other performers lack. Chen noted that in many entertainment sectors, an abundance of aspiring talent can allow employers to pay minimal compensation unless workers establish significant public leverage.
The Dallas Cowboys franchise, ranked by Forbes as the most valuable sports property in the world at $17 billion, offered no further comment beyond Friday’s joint statement. Both sides are expected to begin negotiations on an official labor agreement, though a timetable for contract talks has not yet been announced.
