Raiders cheerleader sues, says pay is less than $5 an hour

[A HERETIC I AM]

The Oakland Raiders didn't give their fans much to cheer about during the football season, and now one of the team's cheerleaders says they're being shortchanged as well.

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.

"I love being a Raiderette, but someone has to stand up for all of the women of the NFL who work so hard for the fans and the teams," Lacy T. said in a statement released by her lawyer. "I hope cheerleaders across the NFL will step forward to join me in demanding respect and fair compensation."

Less than $5 an hour

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 rest here

[Victor_c3]

1. I had no idea they made so little

I would have guessed at least $60-80,000 a year given the hoop-la around them and I would not have been surprised if some of them took home $100,000+.

Good for them for standing up for more. They are part of a performance that rakes in billions of dollars per year and they should get a more fair cut.

[A HERETIC I AM]

2. I thought similar.

I didn't think it was $100K necessarily, but I sure as hell thought it was more than five bucks an hour!

[MineralMan]

3. And how many young women show up to

audition for those jobs? The answer is for them not to work for those wages, not to audition, and not to perform.

[gerogie2]

6. This is a common problem with most USA workers. Lawsuit won't help

They fail to organize themselves into unions to avoid being exploited by the owners and stock holders of a company. Even this lawsuit is not the answer, because even if they win 40% of the award will go to the lawyers, another 30% will go the financiers of the lawsuit another percentage will go to the State and they will be left with very little. They need to create a union and negotiate for back pay and a pay increase.
Even if they win the owners will get rid of them in a short matter of time and the replacement workers will go back to being paid very low wages.

[gollygee]

4. With as much money as pro sports bring in . . .

wow.

[A HERETIC I AM]

5. Yup.

Remarkable.

[Cleita]

7. That's because at one time, it wasn't considered a job, but a pass time.

No, it doesn't make sense but that's how the football teams see the women. The girls on the other hand see it as a path to other entertainment fields, like TV and movies where they make the real fame and fortune. There are a few stars out there who once were cheer leaders. They need get one of the entertainment unions to represent them like SAG or AFTRA (which I believe have merged) if they want better pay.

[stevenleser]

8. This really epitomizes the problem with income disparity here in the US. nt

[spanone]

9. i bet the owners don't pay the paltry 'salary'