Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders' unionise in historic move - could you be their next recruit?
The Dallas Cowboys have agreed to recognize the newly formed union of their cheerleading squad in a historic move.
According to a press release by the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders Association (DCCA), the team will formally note the Association is the collective bargaining representative for the cheerleading squad from here on out.
Shockingly, the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders are now the only NFL squad to unionise, and when you realise just how hard it is to become one, you might understand their choice to protect their members.
The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders were created back in 1961, just one year after the team's debut season.
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With 36 members, it's no small team, and considering it also features Kelli Finglass as its director and Judy Tramell as the choreographer, there's a lot that goes into making it a powerful group.
Over the years, the cheerleading team has been the focus of many shows and interest about their casting process, training and more.
For example, the Netflix series America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders is currently in its third season, and it was there that fans could see the beginnings of negotiations into a new plan to haggle their salaries after years of fighting for higher pay, per Shando Magazine.
In the second season of the show, cheerleader Megan McElaney revealed that a group of veteran cheerleaders reached out to the Cowboys officials to negotiate new contracts, which led to them 'getting a 400% increase'.
McElaney called this 'life-changing' before announcing her retirement.
“The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are an esteemed part of the Cowboys organization, deeply respected for the talent and dedication they exhibit,” the DCCA said in a statement. “They remain one of the most sought-after opportunities for talented dancers worldwide.”
According to Elle Australia, there has been previous scrutiny over the pay of the women, with Charlotte Jones, Dallas Cowboys Executive Vice President, stating: “There’s a lot of cynicism around pay for NFL cheerleaders, and as it should be — they’re not paid a lot. But the facts are, they actually don’t come here for the money. They come here for something that’s actually bigger than that to them.”
Finglass also reportedly explained that on top of their pay, the cheerleaders get things like free spray tans, injectables, and hair extensions on the house.
However, the cheerleaders argued that they should be paid a median salary closer to the players’ salaries.
The outlet puts the new negotiated salary of the women somewhere around £112,000, up from what Sports Illustrated estimated to have previously been £7,476.
This includes – per The Guardian – pay to perform at games, but allegedly they do not get health insurance as they are classed as part-time employees - so, they unionised to be able to engage in formal collective bargaining.
To be a cheerleader for the team, the DCC website states there is a rigorous process.
However, you do need to be able to do the splits as part of your job, so if you can't do it, it's best to choose a different career path.
Apparently, there are 4 rounds of DCC auditions, such as the online first round, online or in-person second round, the in-person finals, and then the in-person training camp.
With what is rumoured to be hundreds to thousands of applicants per year – it's no small competition to land a secured place.
Britt Jones