As the country continues to call for Roger Goodell’s head, the ongoing cheerleader pay scandal ignited by a Raiderette continutes to fly under the radar as far as media attention goes. Even before the Ray Rice story achieved critical mass, current and former cheerleaders from the Oakland Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills filed a wave lawsuits against their respective teams for lack of employment compensation.
While some squads have settled suits since (the Raiders organization settled earlier this month pending litigation to the tune of 1.5 million dollars and a pay increase to $9.00 an hour – California’s minimum wage), cheerleaders argue that this is a league-wide problem. As a result, Caitlin Yates, a five-year veteran Raiderette, is also suing the NFL. The NFL itself wrote a clause into its constitution essentially stating that non-player employee’s contracts with NFL teams must be filed with the NFL, suggesting that the League would have authority to act on such contracts. The NFL, however, argues that it does not legally have to abide by state labor laws, but even if a judge finds that to be the case, there is certainly an argument to be made for basic decency (that being not further exploiting women already subject to ridiculous standards of appearance). Need I mention that the NFL is registered as a 501(c)(6) thus resulting in tax-exempt status despite reeling in $10 billion per year?
When I first moved back to Seattle after college, I lived in a duplex next to two delightful women, both who seemed to be at work all the time. I came to find out one frequently traveled for work; the other was a Seattle Sea-Gal (a cheerleader for the Seattle Seahawks). And she was also my barista. And she was also a frequent performer at the local 5th Avenue Theater that hosts Broadway musicals. I was completely unaware how little these women were compensated until I realized how often she had to work off the field to pay rent.
ESPN aired a brief story on Outside the Lines prior to the regular season in response to the filed lawsuits in which they interviewed Ms. Yates. They also spoke to former Dallas Cowboy cheerleader Shannon Salter, who scoffed at these claims, suggesting that these girls should be so lucky to strap on some tacky sparkles and pom-poms each Sunday (how dare Yates ruffle those feathers!). Arguing that these cheerleaders shouldn’t expect just compensation simply because plenty women would be happy to take their go-go boots from them is unequivocally an insult to the integrity of humanity. This isn’t high school cheer; these women take the field (rain, shine, snow, wind or sleet) as employees of the team just like everyone else working that day.
As a point of reference, mascots (depending on which source you consult) average a salary around $25,000 per year, which allegedly varies based upon each city’s market (for example, the Bears’ mascot will make more than the Jaguars’ mascot). To say that is significantly more money than what cheerleaders make would be a gross understatement. NFL mascots don’t have to painstakingly practice uniform dance movements week-in and week-out. NFL mascots don’t have to be tight and toned in literally every crevice of their bodies just to be able to go to work. Mascots don’t get docked pay for forgetting pom-poms or not dressing in approved practice gear. Both are required to be active in the community and make non-game day appearances (which cheerleaders were not compensated for, by the way), so why are these women the ones who seem to be receiving the worst compensation of anyone in the League? There are NFL players who never play a professional game in their career who walk away with more daily pay than these women receive during their entire cheer career.
Despite the lawsuit against her employer, Ms. Yates still made the Raiderettes cheer squad this season. Not that she should have faced backlash for asking her employer to abide by the laws. That’s why they’re laws, after all, not mere suggestions. And contrary to what the attorney for the Bills’ cheer squad management suggests, tanning and gym memberships aren’t just compensation. Just because those outfits are horribly outdated doesn’t mean the way we treat women in the NFL has to be.
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