Professional cheerleaders deserve respect, fair pay
Iam a former Golden State Warriors cheerleader. Cheerleaders face a serious double standard in the sports industry. My menial pay was $ 10 an hour for my first two years, $ 14 an hour for my third year and $ 20 an hour if I made captain. That’s why I am supporting AB202, which would require professional sports teams to provide cheerleaders with the same rights and benefits as other employees.
As a cheerleader, I had mandatory practices, appearances, events and game days that totaled 30 to 40 hours per week, yet I was paid as a part- time employee. I know that certain professional teams, such as the Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Falcons, do not pay their dancers for practices. Many cheerleaders are forced to be “1099 employees” ( contract workers), which allows teams to withhold rights provided salaried and hourly employees. Some teams go as far as claiming us as seasonal employees, which allows them to pay below minimum wage, despite the fact that we work nine to 10 months of the year. Many use fear tactics, such as threatening to withhold pay and/ or termination, in an effort to keep us from speaking up about the injustice happening behind closed doors. By staying silent, however, we are condoning this sexist and biased behavior.
Professional cheerleaders are plagued by a negative stereotype — that we are not intelligent or motivated or skilled enough to earn a fair wage for the work we do. The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders alone generate more than $ 1 million in revenue a year, proving that this is a profitable venture. We should receive a percentage of the revenue, but to do that we need representation yet we are not even afforded that.
Owners underpaid players until they formed a union. Now they have representation and own 55 percent of league- generated revenue. The National Basketball Association partnership with LeanIn. org, which raises awareness on women’s rights and equality, is a great first step for us, but it is simply that — a first step.
It seems ridiculous to me that I have to list all the hours I spent working in order to try and fight for a fair wage. It’s even more disconcerting that fair wage is minimum wage. State Sen. Tom Berryhill, R- Modesto, spoke out last year to oppose a bill that would increase the minimum wage in California, saying, “The minimum wage is meant to be for entry- level jobs. It’s for kids, summer jobs.” As with players, we are hired for a certain skill set, potential and/ or talent. It requires more than an undeveloped resume to secure this position.
Shouldn’t it raise questions that when a woman challenges a team about her contract, something changes for the better? If the Oakland Raiders had to pay $ 1.25 million because of the lawsuit filed by a former Raiderette, then doesn’t that make you think something is wrong?
What we should ask ourselves is: Will we partner with discrimination and sexism or will we fight against it?