The iconic Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders have officially unionized.
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Association (DCCA) has been officially recognized by the Cowboys as a union after years of back-and-forth about the cheerleaders’ pay, perks and other workplace expectations. The DCCA is now the collective bargaining representative for the Cowboys Cheerleaders after holding talks with the NFL organization. The two parties are now set to begin collective bargaining.
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“The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are an esteemed part of the Cowboys organization, deeply respected for the talent and dedication they exhibit,” the press release says. “They remain one of the most sought-after opportunities for talented dancers worldwide.”
Despite the team’s multi-billion-dollar valuation, decades of historic cheerleader underpayment-including litigation in the 2010s and pay rates that often hovered around $8 to $15 per hour or modest per-game stipends-led to the push for a union.
Three-year veteran Erica Wilkins filed a fair wage case against the Cowboys in 2018. According to reports on the lawsuit, Wilkins only earned roughly $16,000 during her highest-paying season with the organization. Cheerleaders reportedly earned $15 every game during the Cowboys’ prime in the 1990s, and before the year 2000, that amount increased to $50 per game.
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Documentaries like Netflix’s America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders also helped shed light on the DCC, putting the dancers’ financial troubles and unwavering dedication to their craft on display, putting the push for fairer pay into a national spotlight. The series’ second season concluded with the announcement that the DCC would be getting a 400 percent pay raise for the 2025 season. The change brought veteran cheerleaders pay to $75 an hour, up from about $15 an hour in the 2024 NFL season.
The NFL and popular sports would not look the way they do without the DCC’s massive impact. Known as “America’s Sweethearts,” the squad transformed NFL sidelines into highly produced entertainment. Their iconic blue-and-white uniforms are immortalized in sports history and remain culturally relevant to this day.
Now they might make way for the rest of the NFL’s cheerleading squads to follow suit.
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This article originally published at Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders unionize, begin collective bargaining.
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