Cowboys Cheerleaders Gain Union Representation

The Dallas Cowboys have recognized the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Association as the squad’s collective bargaining representative, making the cheerleaders the only currently active unionized NFL cheer squad. The move follows years of public scrutiny over pay, intensified by the Netflix series “America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.” After earning about $15 an hour in 2024, the dancers secured a major raise, with reporting indicating pay rates around $75 an hour and some veteran dancers set to earn more under a contract covering game days and other appearances. The raise did not include health insurance, and the Buffalo Jills, who unionized in 1995, were the NFL’s first cheer squad to do so.