Oakland Raiders Cheerleaders Suing the Team for Wage Theft

It has been awhile since the Oakland Raiders have made the news and I am sure this is not how they wanted to be making headlines.

Being a Dallas Cowboys fan I am spoiled with the greatest cheerleaders in the world. Even being a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader is not as glamorous as many people think it is. The Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders only get paid fifty dollars a game. However it is all about the benefits you get being a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader.

Tanning, gym memberships, appearances, dental and health insurance. The list goes on and on. If your lucky enough to be one of the cheerleaders that makes the swimsuit calender you get paid for that as well. Turns out the Raiderettes are not happy with the pay situation in Oakland.

The suit, filed in Alameda County Superior Court on behalf of current and former Raiderettes, claims that the NFL team engaged in wage theft and other unfair employment practices. Specifically, the suit charges that the team withholds all pay from the Raiderettes until after the season is completed, does not pay for all hours worked and forces the cheerleaders to pay many of their own business expenses.

"It's as if the Raiders' owners believe that the laws that protect all workers in California just don't apply to them," attorney Sharon Vinick said. According to Vinick, the Raiders cheerleaders are contracted for an annual salary of $1,250, which amounts to an hourly wage of less than $5 per hour. The lawsuit also claims that the Raiderettes incur other costs, including fines levied for infractions such as bringing the wrong pom-poms to practice, wearing the wrong workout clothing to rehearsals, failing to bring a yoga mat to practice, or not turning in written biographies on time.