# Raiders Cheerleaders sue for lost wages. **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 23, 2014, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raiders-cheerleaders-sue-for-lost-wages/679565 "2014-01-23T23:02:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raiders-cheerleaders-sue-for-lost-wages/679565/1 "2014-01-23T23:02:21Z")
I’m quite surprised at how little pro cheerleaders are paid. Most of them have extensive training in dance. They represent the team at charity events. At $125 per game they are paid almost nothing. Especially when you consider all the rehearsals they are required to attend. The article is a real eye opener. They even have to pay their own travel expense? :dubious: This is just so wrong. I’m not sure what would be fair. Maybe $7000 a season? That would at least compensate them for all the rehearsal time. The team should pay travel expenses too. I always thought the swimsuit calendars were done by the cheerleading squad to make extra money. It’s modeling work for them. But it turns out they are required by the team to do the calendar? [http://www.sfgate.com/raiders/article/Raiderette-accuses-NFL-team-of-short-changing-its-5165922.php#photo-5509812](http://www.sfgate.com/raiders/article/Raiderette-accuses-NFL-team-of-short-changing-its-5165922.php#photo-5509812) > [@](#): > > Lacy T. accused the Raiders in a lawsuit Wednesday of failing to pay the Raiderettes minimum wages for the work they do, both on the sidelines and in the community for charity. The team also sticks them with travel costs and levies “fines” that eat into their meager salary, she said. > > She filed her lawsuit in Alameda County Superior Court as a proposed class action on behalf of 40 current Raiderettes and other members of the squad over the past four years. And she said she hopes other NFL cheerleaders will join the fray. > [@](#): > > The Raiderettes’ contract calls for $125 per home game, or $1,250 per season, she said. That amounts to less than $5 an hour, counting hours of unpaid work in rehearsals, performances at 10 charity events and participation in the team’s annual swimsuit photo-shoot, the suit said. > > Additionally, the suit said, the Raiders withhold the cheerleaders’ pay until the end of the season, in violation of a state law requiring pay at least twice a month. > [@](#): > > The suit said Raiderettes are required to take part, without pay, in two to three rehearsals per week, the 10 charity events, a team rally, Fan Day and the swimsuit calendar photo-shoot. They must also pay the costs of traveling to those events, it said. > > In addition, the suit said, the cheerleaders must buy accessories such as tights, false eyelashes and a yoga mat, and pay for a team-selected hairstylist, whose appointments cost several hundred dollars. Lacy T. claims in her suit to have spent about $650 on those items this past season. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raiders-cheerleaders-sue-for-lost-wages/679565/2 "2014-01-23T23:27:19Z")
Am I reading this wrong? Is the article implying there is no compensation for modeling work in the team calender? I can’t find the Raiders cheerleader calendar on Amazon. But this shows how much money is getting raked in. The Eagles Cheerleader calender is $46 [http://www.amazon.com/Philadelphia-CHEERLEADERS-Calendar-covering-2013-2014/dp/B00HNCY68A/ref=sr\_1\_23?ie=UTF8&qid=1390519443&sr=8-23&keywords=cheerleader+calendar+2014](http://www.amazon.com/Philadelphia-CHEERLEADERS-Calendar-covering-2013-2014/dp/B00HNCY68A/ref=sr_1_23?ie=UTF8&qid=1390519443&sr=8-23&keywords=cheerleader+calendar+2014) The Miami Dolphins is $39 [http://www.amazon.com/2014-DOLPHINS-CHEERLEADERS-Swimsuit-Calendar/dp/B00HRRJPL4/ref=sr\_1\_20?ie=UTF8&qid=1390519468&sr=8-20&keywords=cheerleader+calendar+2014](http://www.amazon.com/2014-DOLPHINS-CHEERLEADERS-Swimsuit-Calendar/dp/B00HRRJPL4/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&qid=1390519468&sr=8-20&keywords=cheerleader+calendar+2014) The Jets is $39 [http://www.amazon.com/Jets-Cheerleaders-Swimsuit-Calendar-2013/dp/B009ISXTWG/ref=sr\_1\_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1390519559&sr=8-13&keywords=cheerleader+calendar+2014](http://www.amazon.com/Jets-Cheerleaders-Swimsuit-Calendar-2013/dp/B009ISXTWG/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1390519559&sr=8-13&keywords=cheerleader+calendar+2014) ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raiders-cheerleaders-sue-for-lost-wages/679565/3 "2014-01-24T01:10:23Z")
They don’t need to pay more because there’s a long line of young women who would step into their place if they want to leave. It can be a stepping stone to a bigger modeling career, a way to see and be seen, and some folks just love to be in front of 80,000 screaming fans. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raiders-cheerleaders-sue-for-lost-wages/679565/4 "2014-01-24T01:32:16Z")
That is the traditional viewpoint. That women are just cheerleading for fun and the excitement of being in a packed stadium. That’s certainly still true in college football. The cheerleader squads never have trouble getting volunteers. But NFL teams make a lot of money off their cheerleader squads. $40 for a NFL wall calendar is just outrageous. The tv networks like to focus on them during game time outs. I’ll be interesting to see how this class action suit works out. ---
**Author:** ![Boogly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Boogly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boogly)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raiders-cheerleaders-sue-for-lost-wages/679565/5 "2014-01-24T07:37:01Z")
NFL Cheerleader Union? I’m not sure how to get it started as there are many other ladies in line for the position. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raiders-cheerleaders-sue-for-lost-wages/679565/6 "2014-01-24T07:39:34Z")
> [@Boogly](#): > > NFL Cheerleader Union? > I’m not sure how to get it started as there are many other ladies in line for the position. That doesn’t make it impossible. There are always dozens of actors eager for a part, but the Screen Actors Guild and Actor’s Equity are both fairly strong unions. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raiders-cheerleaders-sue-for-lost-wages/679565/7 "2014-01-24T08:46:19Z")
How do they actually survive? If they are paying any sort of travel expenses, that would be way more than $1250 a season I would think. They must be getting some other income. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raiders-cheerleaders-sue-for-lost-wages/679565/8 "2014-01-24T09:32:35Z")
Minimum wage is a very hot topic these days. Bad things happen to employers that don’t pay it. I’m curious how the Raiders/ NFL justifies paying such a pittance to their Cheerleaders. It’s not like this is volunteers who just show up at the games and go rah, rah, rah. Modern cheerleading routines are choreographed dance routines with some gymnastics. Maybe they could be classified as dancers and included in SAG-AFTRA? That may not be necessary if the NFL implemented a minimum pay scale for Cheerleaders. I’d guess some work regular jobs the rest of the year. The lucky ones may model or dance. Then get by the best they can during the Football season. The drive to perform in front of an audience is incredibly strong. People sacrifice a lot for that chance. > [@Antinor01](#): > > How do they actually survive? If they are paying any sort of travel expenses, that would be way more than $1250 a season I would think. They must be getting some other income. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raiders-cheerleaders-sue-for-lost-wages/679565/9 "2014-01-24T09:45:45Z")
I don’t think it would be a huge amount of money. It’s at most 4 months of part-time work. Paying them by the hour would be a record keeping hassle. The Raiders pay $125 a game now. Raise it to $500. That’s enough to say they are getting paid fairly. If by chance this suit goes to court and wins. I think the NFL could find themselves having to pay them by the hour. Imagine tracking every minute of rehearsal, team meetings, travel time, game day time. A hourly wage could get expensive in a hurry. A fair fee per game makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raiders-cheerleaders-sue-for-lost-wages/679565/10 "2014-01-24T12:24:45Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I don’t think it would be a huge amount of money. It’s at most 4 months of part-time work. Paying them by the hour would be a record keeping hassle. > > The Raiders pay $125 a game now. Raise it to $500. That’s enough to say they are getting paid fairly. > > If by chance this suit goes to court and wins. I think the NFL could find themselves having to pay them by the hour. Imagine tracking every minute of rehearsal, team meetings, travel time, game day time. A hourly wage could get expensive in a hurry. > > A fair fee per game makes sense. Plus a reasonable fee per official event appearance, too. And yes, the idea is that this is not FT employment but rather a “gig” and they are expected to have another source of income or other non-Raiders independent dancing/modelling gigs all along, but this is a high profile stage that demands a lost of lost-opportunity commitment, $125/game including mandatory non-game appearances is kind of insulting. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raiders-cheerleaders-sue-for-lost-wages/679565/11 "2014-01-24T13:37:57Z")
One of the Utah Jazz cheerleaders works at my office by day. I’ve never asked or been told an exact number, but she’s very clear on the point that their pay isn’t a living wage - they all either have day jobs, are students, or live with parents or a spouse - and once you factor in rehearsal time, is probably pretty close to minimum wage. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2014, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raiders-cheerleaders-sue-for-lost-wages/679565/12 "2014-01-24T14:15:32Z")
I can’t imagine a scenario in which it makes sense for the teams or the NFL to allow this to be a drown out court battle. My guess is that most of the cheerleaders are doing it to gain exposure and contacts; much like an aspiring professional would work as an intern - so the pay rate did not become an issue. I would guess that they will double or triple the per game pay rate to comply with minimum wage laws and avoid all the negative publicity and legal fees. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raiders-cheerleaders-sue-for-lost-wages/679565/13 "2014-01-25T13:07:41Z")
Considering the huge amounts of money swirling around NFL football, it seems really stupid for the NFL, or for the individual teams, to put themselves in a position where arguments about whether prominent people like cheerleaders are getting paid minimum wage could ever come up. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raiders-cheerleaders-sue-for-lost-wages/679565/14 "2014-01-25T14:03:06Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > The tv networks like to focus on them during game time outs. [Not really](http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748704281204575002852055561406). > [@](#): > > If you think the networks are a little too fond of cheerleaders, you may be mistaken: In these broadcasts, only two networks showed cheerleaders at all. And when they did, they were only on camera for an average of three seconds. “We make it a point to get Dallas cheerleaders on, but otherwise, it’s not really important,” says Fred Gaudelli, NBC’s Sunday Night Football producer. “If we’re doing the Jets, I couldn’t care less.” > … > When it comes to showing the cheerleaders, CBS won the day with about seven seconds. NBC had just over four seconds, and Fox and ESPN had no cheerleaders whatsoever. “Cheerleaders are bigger in college,” says Mr. Brown of Fox, who notes that NFL cheerleaders from the visiting teams don’t travel to road games and aren’t as ingrained in the game as they are in college. “It’s not that we don’t like them,” adds ESPN’s Mr. Rothman. “They’re just not our motivation.” ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raiders-cheerleaders-sue-for-lost-wages/679565/15 "2014-01-25T14:26:40Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Paying them by the hour would be a record keeping hassle. > > … > > If by chance this suit goes to court and wins. I think the NFL could find themselves having to pay them by the hour. Imagine tracking every minute of rehearsal, team meetings, travel time, game day time. A hourly wage could get expensive in a hurry. You don’t think an organization worth hundreds of millions of dollars with a payroll and accounting department and hundreds of employees with all kinds of different compensation plans, and, yes, likely a lot more part-time seasonal, temp, and contract workers isn’t already adequately equipped to pay cheerleaders by the hour? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raiders-cheerleaders-sue-for-lost-wages/679565/16 "2014-01-25T19:34:26Z")
The question, I think, is just what they’re technically paid and required to do. The team could probably argue that the work for which they’re actually paid is just their time at the game itself, and by that standard, $125 for a few hours of work isn’t a bad rate at all. The rehearsals, they could argue, are necessary to maintain fitness for the job, but are not part of the job itself, and if a hypothetical cheerleader were able to perform up to standards with less or no rehearsal, she would still be paid the same amount. Charity appearances might be de facto required, but are probably officially voluntary, and enforced only through unofficial channels. The calendars, though, are more problematic: You’d think they’d at least have to be paid for their time modelling, if not some cut of the profits. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raiders-cheerleaders-sue-for-lost-wages/679565/17 "2014-01-25T19:42:32Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The question, I think, is just what they’re technically paid and required to do. The team could probably argue that the work for which they’re actually paid is just their time at the game itself, and by that standard, $125 for a few hours of work isn’t a bad rate at all. The rehearsals, they could argue, are necessary to maintain fitness for the job, but are not part of the job itself, and if a hypothetical cheerleader were able to perform up to standards with less or no rehearsal, she would still be paid the same amount. > > Charity appearances might be de facto required, but are probably officially voluntary, and enforced only through unofficial channels. The calendars, though, are more problematic: You’d think they’d at least have to be paid for their time modelling, if not some cut of the profits. These questions aren’t as difficult as they seem. I’m no expert on employment law, but the federal labor law has a lot to say about employers’ trying to pretend that work isn’t really work. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raiders-cheerleaders-sue-for-lost-wages/679565/18 "2014-01-25T21:06:28Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > If by chance this suit goes to court and wins. I think the NFL could find themselves having to pay them by the hour. Imagine tracking every minute of rehearsal, team meetings, travel time, game day time. A hourly wage could get expensive in a hurry. Yes imagine tracking every minute of every work day, just like I have to do for all of my employees now. :dubious: What is the problem? The suit is in California. I am a manager over other people in the state of California. Based on my somewhat lacking, but functional knowledge of California employment laws I predict that it won’t go well for the Raiders and the NFL. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raiders-cheerleaders-sue-for-lost-wages/679565/19 "2014-01-25T21:40:10Z")
> [@wsj.com](#): > > If you think the networks are a little too fond of cheerleaders, you may be mistaken: In these broadcasts, only two networks showed cheerleaders at all. And when they did, they were only on camera for an average of three seconds. “We make it a point to get Dallas cheerleaders on, but otherwise, it’s not really important,” says Fred Gaudelli, NBC’s Sunday Night Football producer. “If we’re doing the Jets, I couldn’t care less.” > … > When it comes to showing the cheerleaders, CBS won the day with about seven seconds. NBC had just over four seconds, and Fox and ESPN had no cheerleaders whatsoever. “Cheerleaders are bigger in college,” says Mr. Brown of Fox, who notes that NFL cheerleaders from the visiting teams don’t travel to road games and aren’t as ingrained in the game as they are in college. “It’s not that we don’t like them,” adds ESPN’s Mr. Rothman. “They’re just not our motivation.” I had noticed that, too; and that, to a great extent, helps owners get away with it. With the probable exception of the iconic Cowgirls the cheer squad gets little if any national air time. Could be because the networks want to avoid some Parents’ League type writing letters denouncing that when the games get slow they cut to _"hey, check out THESE ‘tight ends’ "_; they need to keep up the family friendly image, y’know, better show a couple more slo-mo replays of that last traumatic head injury. But since the cheerleaders do not much influence TV money and usually there is a plentiful enough pool of applicants, owners feel justified in treating them just a smidge above unpaid interns, with the resumé-building being the main compensation. Thing with that is, then you can have a situation in which her participation in those "technically not mandatory but really expected " activities will influence who gets selected to the starting squad next week and to the calendar this year, making them constructively part of the work requirements. So maybe you can say, no payment to train and practice, but if you’re expected or “strongly encouraged” to make public appearances representing the brand? Then that should be paid. Doesn’t have to be wages, can be per-event fees still. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2014, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raiders-cheerleaders-sue-for-lost-wages/679565/20 "2014-01-26T01:14:28Z")
Simpsons did it. No, really: they did an episode a few months ago about Lisa encouraging cheerleaders to go on strike. I wonder if this labor dispute has been brewing for a while or if it’s just a coincidence. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raiders-cheerleaders-sue-for-lost-wages/679565.md?page=2)